Enhancing Non-enzymatic Antioxidants and Yield in Summer Green Gram Through Rhizobium, Putrescine and Calcium Application

Green gram (Vigna radiata (L.) is a significant pulse crop in India, renowned for its protein content and nitrogen-fixing ability. This research, which explores the impact of rhizobium, putrescine and calcium chloride on green gram’s biochemical properties, yield and yield attributes, provides valuable insights for the agricultural community, enlightening them on potential strategies to enhance green gram production.

The present study was conducted during the summer season for two consecutive years (2022-23). The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with eight treatments and three replications. Treatments included individual and combined biopriming with rhizobium, foliar application of putrescine and calcium chloride.

Results demonstrated that all treatments significantly enhanced the measured biochemical properties and yield parameters compared to the control. Among all the treatments, the best results were found in the treatment with the combination of rhizobium, putrescine and calcium chloride (T₇), showing statistically significant (p<0.05) improvements in most of the parameters at 30 and 60 DAS. The data analysis revealed the substantial increase in total flavanol content (0.541 mg g^-1), total flavonoid content (0.816 mg g^-1), PAL activity (0.078 mg g^-1), bound phenol content (0.230 mg g^-1), test weight (45.93 g), seed weight pod^-1 (0.49 g), seed weight plant^-1 (16.99 g), no. of seed pod^-1 (9.55), no. of seed plant^-1 (34.90), biological yield (3858.77 kg/ha), economic yield (1261.50 kg/ha) and harvest index (32.70%). These findings suggest integrating microbial inoculants, growth regulators and essential nutrients can effectively enhance green gram yield and nutritional quality in summer cultivation. This study provides valuable insights for developing sustainable agricultural practices to maximize green gram production.