Influence of plant growth regulators on yield and yield components in pigeonpea

Pigeonpea is an important pulse crop and one of the major sources of protein in India. In the present study, investigations were undertaken to study the role of foliar spray of different plant growth regulators (PGRs) in altering morphology and enhancing the yield potential of pigeonpea varieties VBN 1, APK 1 and VRG 62. Among different plant growth regulators (PGRs) studied, foliar application of Giberellic acid (GA₃) significantly increased plant height, number of leaves and branches in pigeonpea. This was followed by Brassinosteroid (BR). Foliar application of PGRs significantly increased both the growth attributes and yield. Various yield components viz., days to 50 per cent flowering, days to maturity, number of flowers per plant, number of pods per plant, number of clusters per plant, number of seeds per pod, hundred seed weight and harvest index were enhanced by PGR application. Maximum dry matter accumulation and fertility co-efficient was recorded in the treatment (T₉), i.e., BR application @ 0.1 ppm than the other treatments. It is concluded that foliar application of BR @ 0.1ppm is advantageous in enhancing both growth and yield of pigeonpea and thus BR foliar spray can be recommended for adoption by the farmers, to maximize the yield in pigeonpea.