Background: Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) is an important spice and medicinal crop whose growth, yield, and quality are highly influenced by environmental conditions and agronomic practices, particularly sowing time and method of crop establishment. However, limited information is available on the combined effect of these factors under sub-mountain agro-climatic conditions, necessitating further investigation to optimize productivity. Aim: The study aims to evaluate the effect of time of sowing along with method of crop establishment on growth, productivity and multicollinearity in coriander. Method: The field experiment was conducted during 2024-2025 at Hoshiarpur district, Punjab, a sub-mountain transitional zone lying adjacent to the Himachal Pradesh foothills. The study had twelve treatment combinations comprising six sowing dates (15th September, October, November, December, January, and February) and two methods of sowing (ridge and flat). The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Results: Sowing of coriander on 15th December under ridge method produced the tallest plants (95.89 cm) and highest leaf area, while the maximum total leaf yield was recorded under flat sowing on 15th November-December (243–244 q/ha). Seed yield peaked under flat sowing in October (8.98 q/ha). Path analysis identified 1000-grain weight (direct effect: 0.589) and leaf yield at 55 DAS as the most influential traits for seed yield. Conclusion: The sub-mountain agro-climatic conditions of Hoshiarpur are characterized by cool winters, moderate humidity, and proximity to Shiwalik hills, provided ideal micro-climatic buffering that supported superior crop performance compared to typical plains. Early September sowing offers a viable off-season production strategy with premium market returns. These findings provide evidence-based recommendations for diversified coriander cultivation in similar transitional zones.
Brar et al. (Wed,) studied this question.