Impact of plant growth regulators and micronutrients on the economic aspects of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.)

An experiment was conducted during Rabi 2019-20 at the College of Agriculture, Indore (Madhya Pradesh), to evaluate the profitability and cost-effectiveness of integrating Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) and micronutrient applications in fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) cultivation. The experiment comprised nine treatments, including varying levels of GA3, NAA, and Mixol (a micronutrient mix containing zinc, iron, manganese, copper, boron, and molybdenum) compared to a control. Economic parameters such as cost of cultivation, gross returns, net returns, and benefit-cost ratio (BCR) were analyzed. The data revealed that the highest seed yield of 15.24 q/ha, along with a maximum net income of Rs. 132080 per ha, Gross income of Rs. 182880 per ha and benefit-cost ratio of 3.60, was recorded under treatment T4 (GA3 @ 100 ppm as foliar spray + 1.0% Mixol) followed by net income of Rs. 123513 per ha, Gross income of Rs. 180960 per ha and benefit-cost ratio of 3.15 were observed in treatment T8 (NAA @50 ppm as foliar spray + 1.0% Mixol). The control treatment (T9) resulted in a seed yield of 12.32 q/ha, with the minimum net income of Rs. 69202 per ha of Rs. 180960 per ha, Gross income of Rs. 147840 and lowest benefit-cost ratio (1.88). Among the treatments, the of T4 (GA3 @ 100 ppm as foliar spray + Mixol 1.0%) demonstrated the highest economic viability, with significantly increased net returns and benefit-cost ratio due to improved seed yield. This study highlights the financial benefits of adopting optimized PGR and micronutrient applications in fenugreek cultivation, providing a practical framework for enhancing farmers' income and resource-use efficiency.