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Subject: Vegetable Science × Author: KAU × End date: 2022 × Start date: 2022 × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Controlling seedling height of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) transplants using plant growth regulators
    (Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, 2022-04-28) Anu Latha Robi; KAU; C Narayanankutty
    Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) is an annual leguminous vegetable crop. It is grown throughout india for its tender green pods used as vegetable. Green cowpea seeds are boiled as a fresh vegetable or may be canned or frozen. The beans are nutritious and provide complementary proteins to cereals diets. Seedlings like cowpea, cucurbits having lanky growth growing in polyhouses is an undesirable quality, especially in plugs intended for mechanized planting and long distance transport. Seed treatment with growth retardants is an effective method for controlling seedling height .However limited studies have been conducted in vegetable crops The present study was undertaken with the objectives of controlling seedling height of vegetable cowpea and to assess the field performance of treated seedlings. The experiment was conducted at the Centre for Hi-Tech Horticulture and Precision farming, Vellanikkara KAU, Thrissur during the year 2020-2021 In seedling stage, highest germination was recorded in control treatment on 5th and 10th days after sowing (89%) and (91%) respectively in Vellayani Jyothika. Minimum germination percentage was recorded in Paclobutrazol @ 200 ppm on 5th and 10th day after sowing (64.3%) and (66.0%) respectively in cowpea genotype Vellayani Jyothika. Significantly lower germination percentage was recorded in treatments receiving Paclobutrazol @ 200 ppm on 5th and 10th day after sowing (70.0%) (72%) in the genotype Kashi Kanchan. In both the genotypes there were no significant difference between the treatments on 15th days after sowing. Paclobutrazol treatment took more number of days for emergence of seedling up to the first node compared to control treatment ie Paclobutrazol @ 200 ppm (8.13) and (8.00) respectively in both the genotypes. Highest shoot length was recorded in control treatment on 5th, 10th and 15 th days after germination in both the genotypes. Significantly lower shoot length was recorded in treatments receiving Paclobutrazol @ 200 ppm irrespective of the number of days after germination. Growth retardants in general reduce root growth, shoot weight and root weight of the seedlings. In both the genotypes (Vellayani Jyothika and Kashi Kanchan) significantly lower root length, shoot weight and root weight was obtained in Paclobutrazol treatments compared to non-treated control. Height of seedling up to the first node was directly linked to shoot length. In both the genotypes of the cowpea significantly lower shoot length was recorded in treatments receiving Paclobutrazol @ 200 ppm (4.09) and (4.03) respectively. Paclobutrazol treated seedlings had dark green leaves when compared to other growth regulator and control treatments on 5th ,10th and 15th days after germination. In both the cowpea genotypes, when compared to other growth retardant and control treatments highest stem girth of the seedlings was recorded in treatments receiving Paclobutrazol @ 200 ppm on 5th (3.19 mm) 10th (3.45mm) and 15th (3.7mm) in Vellayani Jyothika and on 5th (3.3mm ) 10th (3.4mm) and 15th (3.8mm) in Kashi Kanchan. There were no significant difference between the treatments on 5th (2) and 15th days (7-8) after germination in both the genotypes. The total chlorophyll content and carotenoid content was recorded highest in treatments receiving Paclobutrazol treatments on seedling stage. Minimum auxin content and gibberellic acid contents were observed in Paclobutrazol treatments. In the field experiment, in both the cowpea genotypes, plant growth regulator Ethrel recorded maximum plant height where as in Vellayani Jyothika minimum plant height was recorded in Cycocel@ 50 ppm (112.40 cm) .In Kashi Kanchan lowest plant height was recorded in Paclobutrazol @ 200 ppm (33.06 cm) in Kashi Kanchan. In vellayani Jyothika highest internodal length was recorded in Ethrel @100 ppm (3.13 cm) and Ethrel @50 ppm (3.04 cm). Minimum was recorded in Paclobutrazol@ 200 ppm (2.63 cm). In the genotype Kashi Kanchan maximum internodal length was recorded in Ethrel@ 200 ppm (3.34 cm) and minimum was recorded in Cycocel @ 100 ppm (2.53cm). Highest number of primary branches was recorded in treatments receiving Paclobutrazol @ 200 ppm which was on par with Paclobutrazol @ 100 ppm compared to control in Vellayani Jyothika. In Kashi Kanchan there were no significant differences found between the treatments. Growth retardants had significant effect on the viz days to first flowering, days to first harvest and crop duration. Early flowering results in early harvesting of pods. Plant growth retardant Cycocel @ 200 ppm (41day) and Cycocel @ 25 ppm (36.80 days) recorded earliest flowering in the field in both the genotypes. In both the genotypes delayed flowering and maximum crop duration was recorded in Paclobutrazol treatments. Pod length and pod girth are related with pod weight. Ethrel treatment had highest pod length and pod girth compared to control .The higher number of flowers, pod girth and pod length contributed to production of more number of pods which in turn resulted in higher yield per plant. In both the cowpea genotypes, highest number of pods per plant and yield per plant was recorded in Ethrel treatments (Ethrel 100 ppm) in Vellayani Jyothika followed by Paclobutrazol treatment (Paclobutrazol 100 ppm) where as in Kashi Kanchan Paclobutrazol 100 ppm was on par with Ethrel 100 ppm. From the above study it could be concluded that, Paclobutrazol 100 ppm seed treatment was effective in controlling seedling height as well to obtain good yield in vegetable cowpea.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Standardisation of operational procedures for pro-tray seedling production of vegetables
    (Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, 2022) Arya, S; KAU; Dicto Jose, M
    Healthy seedlings are the most important prerequisite for any vegetable crop to reach its full output potential. As a result, large-scale seedling production is becoming a profession and a commercial activity. Farmers used to generate seedlings at a reasonable cost in nursery beds in the past. However, due to some drawbacks like poor germination, higher pest and disease incidence, poor field establishment etc. in traditional nurseries, many progressive farmers and agriculture entrepreneurs have turned their attention to the commercial production of quality seedlings utilising seedling trays or pro-trays. In this background, the present study entitled ‘Standardisation of operational procedures for pro-tray seedling production of vegetables’ was undertaken with the objective of standardising best growing media, pre-sowing seed invigoration, and evaluating the effect of biofertilizer on pro-tray seedling production of vegetables. The present study was carried out at the Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara as three experiments during 2020-21. All three experiments were conducted in a Completely Randomized Design with three replications. In the first experiment seeds of tomato var. Anagha, chilli var. Anugraha, cucumber var. Heera, and okra var. Salkeerthi collected from the Department of Vegetable Science were sown in seventeen different media that were initially analysed for various physicochemical properties. The growth parameters of the seedlings raised in the poly house were assessed at the stage of commercial sale of each crop i.e., 15 days after sowing (DAS) in cucumber and okra and 30 DAS in chilli and tomato. The results showed that T13 (cocopeat: vermiculite: perlite - 1:1:1) and T17 recorded comparatively minimum bulk density, maximum water holding capacity and porosity which are desirable physical properties for good seedling growth. T17 (coir pith compost: vermiculite: perlite - 3:1:1) was found to be the best soil-less media for all four crops based on growth parameters and cost analysis. Among soil containing media T6 having soil and dried powdered cow dung in equal proportion and T10 having soil, cocopeat and dried cow dung exhibited a higher benefit cost ratio and was found to be on par with T17 for most of the growth parameters. Farmers do not have easy access to vermiculite and perlite, and they are costly. In this context, soil, cocopeat and dried powdered cow dung in equal proportion is found to be an alternate media comprising locally available inputs and affordable by the farmers. The best media from the first experiment was chosen for further trials. The second trial comprised of nine different seed treatments including various concentrations of KNO3 and Pseudomonas. Pre-sowing seed invigoration with 0.5% KNO3 in combination with 1% Pseudomonas was found to be highly effective in improving germination and growth parameters viz., germination percentage, plant height, root length, vigour index Ⅰ & Ⅱ and chlorophyll content of seedlings of tomato, chilli, cucumber and okra. This combination has the dual advantage of providing potassium and nitrogen to the seedlings and imparting resistance from diseases especially damping off. So, these treatments can be effectively utilized for producing healthy and vigorous vegetable seedlings. The third experiment included nine treatments in which different biofertilizers viz., PGPR Mix-1, Pseudomonas fluorescense, Trichoderma asperellum and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were inoculated in the media individually and in combination. Evaluation of the effect of biofertilizers showed that higher growth parameters like plant height, root length, leaf area, collar girth, vigour index Ⅰ and vigour index Ⅱ are comparatively higher in the treatment containing PGPR, AMF and along with either Pseudomonas or Trichoderma. In the above three experiments the best treatments were identified by ranking based on an index derived from principal component analysis. The characters viz., number of leaves, leaf area, collar girth, vigour index Ⅰ & Ⅱ and total chlorophyll content was used for performing PCA. The loadings of principal component having Eigen value more than one was taken as weightage. Using weightage, an index was derived and the treatments having higher index was ranked higher. The best media obtained include cocopeat: vermiculite: perlite (3:1:1) and soil: cocopeat: cow dung (1:1:1). A combination of 0.5% KNO3 and 1% Pseudomonas was the best seed invigoration treatment. Among different biofertilizers evaluated the combination of AMF, PGPR Mix-1 and Pseudomonas was found to be the best. Based on the insights of the above three trials, standard operational protocol for seedling production of tomato, chilli, cucumber and okra is generated for use by farmers.