Evaluating the response of biostimulants on the performance of Petunia (Petunia x hybrida)

An investigation was done to study the impact of biostimulants on the performance of Petunia (Petunia x hybrida) during the year 2023 in the research cum instructional farm, Department of Horticulture, SAS, Nagaland University. Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 8 distinct treatments, viz., T₁ (Control), T₂ (EM), T₃ (IEM), T₄ (Jeevamrutha), T₅ (Beejamrutha), T₆ (Vermiwash), T₇ (Bokashi tea) and T₈ (Organic liquid compost) replicated three times was used to examine the vegetative, flowering and economic parameters. The vegetative parameters were found to be superior in the plants receiving treatment T₂: (Effective Microorganisms) (EM) where maximum number of primary branches (8.80), (14.27) at bud emergence and full bloom respectively, number of secondary branches (9.00), number of leaves (33.40), (71.20) at bud emergence and full bloom, stem girth (0.540 cm), (1.46 cm) at bud emergence and full bloom, plant spread (21.77 cm), (35.43 cm) at bud emergence and full bloom and leaf area (15.28 cm²) were observed. The plant height and internodal length were recorded the maximum with T₄: (Jeevamrutha). Flowering parameters were also found to be superior in the plants receiving T₂: (Effective Microorgansims) (EM). Minimum days to bud emergence (20.19 days), days to first bloom (27.80 days), number of flowers per plant (66.27), flowering duration (103.1 days) and days to first flower wilt (9.20 days) was observed in the same. Flower diameter was found to be superior in T₃: (Indigenous Effective Microorganisms) (IEM). Treatment T₂: (EM) also resulted in greater benefit cost ratio with higher gross and net incomes.