Does foliar applied seaweed extracts enhance growth and yield of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)?

A commercial product of seaweed extracts, ‘WIN (Shree) Crops^TM’ containing plant growth regulators, amino acids, macro and micronutrients, was evaluated as a foliar spray for its growth and yield enhancing ability in chickpea during 2016–17. The field experiment involving the product at several rates was carried out at ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur during rabi season of 2016–17 in an inceptisols (Typic Ustochrept). The treatments comprising of different doses of WIN (Shree) Crops^TM product (at 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25, 1.50 and 1.75 kg/ha along with water spray as control) were laid out in a randomised block design with three replications. Application of WIN (Shree) Crops^TM had significant influence on crop growth parameters viz., plant height, dry matter accumulation and chlorophyll content in leaves (Measured through by SPAD Chlorophyll metre, SCMR) although it did not influence branches/plant at harvest. However, the application could neither enhance the specified yield attributes (viz., pods/plant, grains/pod, 100-seed weight and harvest index contributing towards grain yield) nor raised grain yield of chickpea although higher stover yield was observed (following application of WIN (Shree) Crops^TM). Our study also indicated that application of WIN (Shree) Crops^TM to chickpea was not beneficial since economics analysis did not favour for its application.