Evaluation of plant growth regulatory potential of mepiquat chloride on growth and physiological attribute in brinjal (Solanum melongena L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out at Vegetable Research Farm, Department of Horticulture, Institute of Agriculture Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi during the rainy season (kharif), 2015. The present investigation was carried out to understand the effect of mepiquat chloride on yield and yield attributes of brinjal variety New Kiran. Experiment was laid out in a randomized block design. Brinjal plants were foliar sprayed with 1350 ppm, 1700 ppm and 3400 ppm concentration of mepiquat chloride. In addition to three concentrations, time of foliar sprayed viz, (i) at initiation of flowering, (ii) after 15 days of initiation of flowering (iii) first spraying at initiation of flowering followed by second spraying after fifteen days of first spaying at same dose. The present study further aims to find out the stage of plant and concentration of mepiquat chloride to have maximum growth of plant and physiological attribute of brinjal variety New Kiran. Among the concentrations, significantly decrease in plant height at 0 and 15 days and stem height at 15 days (15.20 cm), (28.66 cm) and (7.26 cm) recorded under (T3) respectively whereas significant increase in number of leaves at 0 day and 15 days (9.47) and (24.37), number of branches at 15 days (4.02), leaf area (72.66 cm2), total chlorophyll content (0.82 mg/g), chlorophyll a (0.58 mg/g) and chlorophyll b (0.30 mg/g) were recorded under (T3) in 3400 ppm concentrations as against control (T8). Similarly significant decrease in plant height stem height and significant increase in number of leaves, leaf area, number of branches chlorophyll content chlorophyll a chlorophyll b were recorded at initiation of flowering over fifteen days after initiation of flowering and first spraying at initiation of flowering followed by second spraying after fifteen days of first spaying.