Studies on the influence of different plant growth regulators on growth, yield and quality of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) variety Nadia in Gangetic alluvial plains of West Bengal

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to study the influence of different plant growth regulators on growth, yield and quality of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) var. Nadia at Horticultural Research Station, Mondouri, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Nadia, West Bengal during 2015-16. There were altogether ten treatments laid in RBD with three replications viz., GA3 (50, 100 and 150 ppm), Ethrel (50, 100 and 150 ppm) and Cycocel (CCC) (100, 200 and 500 ppm) and control (water spray) and were applied as foliar spray at 90 and 120 days after planting. The results revealed that spraying with GA3 at 150 ppm recorded highest with almost all the growth and yield attributing parameters like plant height (77.16 cm), leaf length (23.96 cm), length of clump (20.54 cm), breadth of clump (10.62 cm), yield per plant (235.55 gm), yield per plot (11.30 kg) and yield per hectare (27.15 t/ha) respectively. Ethrel at 150 ppm and CCC at 200 ppm recorded highest number of leaves per tiller (23.48) and maximum leaf breadth (2.22 cm) respectively. Further, number of tillers per clump (18.53), number of fingers per clump (20.83), length of fingers (10.96) and girth of fingers (4.26) were found highest with CCC at 500 ppm respectively. The quality attributing parameters like essential oil (1.74 %), oleoresin content (5.15 %) and dry recovery (20.87 %) was recorded highest with CCC at 500 ppm respectively. This experiment led to a conclusion for obtaining maximum yield and good quality of ginger var. Nadia rhizomes, foliar application of GA3 at 150 ppm and Cycocel (CCC) at 500 ppm could be recommended to the farmers of alluvial plains of West Bengal.