Intercomparison of drone and conventional spraying of macro and micro nutrients on growth yield and quality of Tuberose (Agave amica Medik.) cv. Arka Prajwal

Improper nutrient management is one of the major challenges for sustainable production of tuberose cultivation. The present study has utilized drones to deliver agricultural inputs, particularly nutrients, in tuberose cultivation over 2 seasons (2022-2024) in Sathiyamangalam, Tamil Nadu. Present study has conducted with 10 treatments replicated thrice in a randomized block design, the treatments included NPK 19:19:19, micronutrients, humic acid and GA3 at various concentrations. Nutrients were applied via foliar spray using drones and knapsack sprayers. Results demonstrated a significant positive impact of drone-facilitated foliar nutrient application on tuberose growth and yield. Drone spray of micro nutrient mixture + 0.5 % poly feed + 0.6 % humic acid + 150 ppm GA3 with spray fluid of 50 L ha-1 recorded the maximum plant growth and yield attributes over other treatments. The study showed enhanced flowering attributes in tuberose, including a reduced time to first spike emergence (77.18 days), increased spike length (99.22 cm) and number of florets per spike (43.39). Additionally, higher yield and quality parameters were observed, such as hundred floret weight (221.57 g), floret diameter (4.36 cm), floret length (6.88 cm), spike weight (126.89 g) and yield per plant (390.51 g). Physiological parameters were also higher in plots treated with a drone spray of MN mixture + 0.5 % poly feed + 0.6 % humic acid + GA3 at 150 ppm, followed by those treated with a knapsack spray of the same mixture. The findings revealed that foliar application of nutrients and growth regulators using drones significantly improved the growth, yield and quality of tuberose.