Enhancing seed yield and quality of dhaincha (Sesbania aculeata (Willd.) Pers.) by nipping and foliar spray of nutrients and plant growth hormone
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Date
2018
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Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology
Abstract
An investigation entitled ‘Enhancing seed yield and quality of dhaincha
(Sesbania aculeata (Willd.) Pers.) by nipping and foliar spray of nutrients and plant growth
hormone’ was undertaken during Kharif 2017 in the Department of Seed Science and
Technology, College of Agriculture, Bhubaneswar. The field experiment was taken up in Central
Farm, OUAT, Bhubaneswar. The experiment was laid out in Split Plot Design with nipping (M1)
and non-nipping (M2) as the main plot treatments and foliar sprays with nutrients and growth
hormone as the sub-plot treatments. The experiment was conducted with four replications.
Nipping of terminal buds was done at 60 DAS. Foliar sprays were done at 65 DAS, which
included 2% DAP (T2), MN mixture (0.5% ZnSO4 + 0.3% boric acid) (T3), 40 ppm NAA (T4),
and combination of all three treatments (T5 = T2 + T3 + T4). One control (T1) was also taken in
which no foliar spray was done. The field performance was evaluated through study of growth
parameters, seed yield and yield attributing parameters, as well as the seed quality parameters.
Results of the investigation showed that nipping and foliar spray were effective in
influencing plant growth characters, yield and yield attributing characters, as well as seed quality
parameters. The plants with nipping had plant height 11.77% lower than that of plants in which
nipping was not done, while the foliar sprays had no significant effect on the plant height. Plants
with nipping and foliar spray of 2% DAP + MN mixture + 40 ppm NAA (M1T5) recorded the
lowest plant height. Nipping treatment caused increase in the number of days to maturity. Plants
with foliar spray of 2% DAP + MN mixture + 40 ppm NAA (T5) recorded highest number of days
to maturity. Plants with nipping recorded 63.41% higher number of branches than the plants
without nipping, whereas the foliar sprays did not bring about any change in the number of
branches per plant. Number of pods per plant increased significantly due to nipping, while foliar
treatment positively influenced the pod development. The number of pods per plant was highest
for T5, followed by T4. Number of seeds per pod was positively influenced by nipping and foliar
spray treatments. Plants with nipping had more number of seeds per pod (23.68) as compared to
non-nipping (22.25). The treatment T5 recorded highest number of seeds per pod which was
20.6% higher than the control. The most essential parameter, i.e., seed yield was significantly
influenced by both nipping and foliar spray. The mean seed yield per plant from nipping treatment
was 17.65 g, as against 16.49 g from plants without nipping. Foliar application with 2% DAP +
MN mixture + 40 ppm NAA (T5) proved to be the most effective foliar spray treatment. Nipping
in combination with foliar spray of 2% DAP + MN mixture + 40 ppm NAA gave the highest seed
yield per hectare of 16.82 q, which was 35.65% higher than M2T1, i.e., non-nipping and no foliar
spray. Seed quality parameters such as seed germination, seedling length, seedling dry weight and
seed vigour indices remained unaffected with both nipping and foliar spray treatments but
parameters such as 1000-seed weight, speed of germination, mean germination time and protein
content were influenced by the treatments. Seeds produced from plants without nipping and with
foliar spray of 2% DAP + MN mixture + 40 ppm NAA (M2T5) recorded 31.36% protein content,
followed by M1T5 (31.09%). Hence, nipping of terminal buds at 60 DAS, followed by foliar spray
of 2% DAP + MN mixture + 40 ppm NAA at 65 DAS proved to be the most effective treatment
combination in the experiment and can be used to enhance seed yield and quality of dhaincha.
Description
Th-5192
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