Exemplification of manganese with salicylic acid on growth, antioxidants and productivity of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.)

In India, mustard, an essential oilseed crop, encounters several challenges including diminished yield and environmental apprehensions. The diligent mix of micronutrients and plant growth regulators indicates the potential for enhancing mustard crop output while retaining environmental sustainability. Manganese and salicylic acid play a vital role in plant metabolism.

The trial was planned with ten treatments with three replications under randomized complete block design. The treatments consisted of control, varying concentrations of salicylic acid (75, 150, 300 ppm), varying concentrations of manganese (0.25, 0.5, 0.75 mM MnSO₄) and combinations of both.

The experimental findings indicate the synergistic use of salicylic acid and manganese resulted in enhanced growth dynamics and improved yield potential compared to the separate treatments of manganese and salicylic acid. The exogenous application of 0.5 mM manganese with 150 ppm salicylic acid increased plant height by 10.83%, total dry matter by 49.6%, chlorophyll content by 51.61%, number of siliquae by 81.94%, test weight by 5.8%, grain yield by 41.26% and stover yield by 48.76% over the control. Growth and yield attributes positively correlated with grain and stover yield. Hence the application of both 0.5 mM Mn with 150 ppm SA is feasible for enhancement of Indian mustard productivity.