Effect of Foliar Application of Growth Regulator, Micronutrients and Chemical on Yield Attributes of Mungbean (Vigna radiata L.)

Abstract

Mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) is an important pulse crop belonging to the family Fabaceae, known for its nutritional value and its ability to improve soil fertility through biological nitrogen fixation. The present investigation was carried out to evaluate the effects of foliar application of growth regulators and micronutrients on the yield attributes and productivity of mungbean. The experiment was conducted during the summer seasons of 2023–24 and 2024–25 at the Student Instructional Farm, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The field experiment consisted of thirteen treatments, including different concentrations of gibberellic acid (GA₃), boron, iron, and salicylic acid, together with an untreated control. The treatments included GA₃ (50, 75, and 100 ppm), boron (5000, 10000, and 20000 ppm), iron (5000, 10000, and 20000 ppm), and salicylic acid (50, 75, and 100 ppm). Foliar application was carried out at 41 days after sowing using a hand sprayer, while distilled water was sprayed in the control treatment. The experiment was laid out in a randomised block design with three replications. The results revealed significant variation among treatments for different yield attributes and yield parameters of mungbean. Among all treatments, foliar application of GA₃ at 75 ppm (T₃) recorded superior performance, with maximum test weight, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, graded seed yield per plot, seed yield per hectare, and harvest index. The GA₃ treatment at 75 ppm showed considerable improvement over the control and other treatments. In contrast, the lowest performance was recorded with salicylic acid at 100 ppm (T₁₃). The study concluded that foliar application of GA₃ at 75 ppm was the most effective treatment for enhancing yield attributes and productivity of mungbean under the agro-climatic conditions of Uttar Pradesh.