Fortification with micronutrients and plant growth regulators improves the vegetative and reproductive parameters of bananan cv. Popoulu (AAB)

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project on Fruits, Kittur Rani Channamma College of Horticulture, Arabhavi to study the response of micronutrients with plant growth regulators on vegetative and reproductive characteristics of banana cv. Popoulu (AAB) during 2024-25. It was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with ten treatments and three replications. The results revealed statistically significant difference among treatments with foliar application of micronutrients and plant growth regulators. The maximum pseudostem height (263.19 and 293.34 cm), pseudostem girth (82.41 and 85.55 cm), number of functional leaves (16.47 and 18.36), leaf area (12.73 and 16.34 m2), chlorophyll content (44.33 and 49.98 SPAD units) and number of suckers per plant (9.80 and 1.03) were recorded at 6th and 7th MAP in T8 (ICAR-NRCB Banana shakthi powder @ 1 per cent + GA3 80 ppm applied at 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th MAP). This treatment also resulted in early shooting (209.59 days), minimum days from shooting to maturity (68.92 days), reduced crop duration (278.51) and highest bunch weight (23.64 Kg) compared to other treatments.