Effect of Gibberellic Acid and Age of Seedling on Growth and Yield Quality of Chilli (Capsicum annum L.)

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of gibberellic acid (GA₃) and seedling age on the growth and yield quality of chilli (Capsicum annuum L.). The study was conducted in a Randomised Block Design at the Research Farm, Department of Horticulture, School of Agricultural Science, Technology & Research, Sardar Patel University, Balaghat (M.P.), during the Rabi seasons of 2022 and 2023. The treatments consisted of four concentrations of GA₃: GA₀ (0 ppm), GA₁ (50 ppm), GA₂ (100 ppm), and GA₃ (150 ppm), combined with three seedling ages: D₁ (30 days), D₂ (40 days), and D₃ (50 days). In total, twelve treatment combinations were evaluated. Among the tested concentrations, GA₃ at 150 ppm proved significantly superior in enhancing growth and yield parameters. The highest plant height (85.1 cm, 125.79 cm, and 150.06 cm at 30, 60 DAT, and harvest, respectively), number of branches (29.40 at 30 DAT and 57.19 at harvest per plant), and number of leaves (181.58, 221.56, and 297.32 per plant at 30, 60 DAT, and harvest, respectively) were recorded with the application of GA₃ @ 150 ppm in combination with 30-day-old seedlings. Maximum fruit yield (25.70 t/ha) was obtained under GA₃ @ 150 ppm with 30-day-old seedlings, followed by 17.37 t/ha under the same GA₃ concentration. The lowest yield was observed in GA₀ (0 ppm) with 50-day-old seedlings.