Effect of foliar nutrients and growth regulator on the growth and yield of spring hybrid Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. Var. GKSF-2002) in Gangetic alluvial soils of West Bengal

Abstract

An experiment was conducted during the spring season of 2017 at the Agricultural Experimental Farm of Institute of Agricultural Science of Calcutta University, Baruipur, situated in the Gangetic region of West Bengal, India for making a comparative assessment to study the effect of foliar nutrients and growth regulator on the growth and yield of spring hybrid Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. Var. GKSF-2002). A total of six foliar nutrients, including Water spray (T1), KCl@ 0.5% (T2), KNO3 @ 0.5% (T3), DAP @1.5% (T4), N P K 10:26:26 @1.5% (T5) and NaCl @0.25% + Turmeric @0.25% (T6) and four levels of growth regulator including Cycocel @0.2% (T7), Cycocel @0.25% (T8), Cycocel @0.3% (T9) and Cycocel @0.25% + N P K 10:26:26 @1.5% (T10) were established. The treatments were arranged in a randomized block design with three replications. The plant height (cm), number of green leaves per plant, head diameter (cm), number of seeds per plant, test weight, seed weight per plant, total seed yield (tha-1) and oil quality were superior in T10, T5 and T8 compared to T1, T2, T3, T4, T6, T7 and T9 According to the results for the growth, the order was T10>T5>T8>T4 respectively. According to the results for the yield, the order was T10>T5>T8>T4 respectively. The results showed that using a foliar application of Cycocel @0.25% + N P K 10:26:26 @1.5% increased the growth and yield of sunflower significantly, as compared to the other treatments.