Impact of foliar application of organic formulations on plant growth, seed yield and quality in green gram (Vigna radiata L.)

Greengram is one of the most important pulse crops in India. It plays a crucial role in organic farming systems due to its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen. Productivity in organic farming is generally lower than in conventional systems, primarily due to the need for large quantities of organic amendments to meet crop nutrient requirements. Foliar fertilization serves as an efficient and cost-effective alternative for delivering essential nutrients directly to the plants. In this study, field experiments were conducted during the Kharif and Rabi seasons of 2024 using greengram (CO 9) seeds, following a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with nine treatments and three replications. Organic formulations including panchagavya, Fermented Fish Extract (FFE), Egg Fermented Extract (EFE) and Seaweed Extract (SWE) were sprayed at critical growth stages, specifically at flower initiation and early pod formation to evaluate their efficacy. The results indicated that two foliar applications of panchagavya 5 % (T2) recorded the highest plant growth and seed yield parameters. SWE 10 % (T4) recorded higher seed quality parameters followed by panchagavya 5 % (T2) which showed comparable performance. Hence, the foliar application of panchagavya 5 % at the flower initiation and early pod formation stages can significantly enhance plant growth, seed yield and quality, ultimately leading to improved productivity in greengram.