Role of Plant Growth Regulators on Growth and Yield of Black Gram (Vigna mungo L.)

A field experiment was conducted during the kharif season of 2025 at the newly established experimental-cum-demonstration field of the Shri Vaishnav Institute of Agriculture, Shri Vaishnav Vidyapeeth Vishwavidyalaya, Indore. The experimental soil was characterised by a medium black clay texture, with low available nitrogen (211.45 kg ha⁻¹), medium available phosphorus (15.60 kg ha⁻¹) and high available potassium (435.89 kg ha⁻¹). The soil had an organic carbon content of 0.50%, a pH of 7.35 and an electrical conductivity of 0.70 dS m⁻¹. The experiment consisted of nine treatments involving different concentrations of the plant growth regulators gibberellic acid (GA₃) and salicylic acid. The treatments were arranged in a randomised block design (RBD) with three replications. The treatments included T1: Control, T2: GA3 20 ppm at 15 & 40 days after sowing, T3: GA3 35 ppm at 15 & 40 DAS, T4: Salicylic acid 50 ppm at 15 & 40 DAS, T5: Salicylic acid 75 ppm at 15 & 40 DAS, T6: GA3 20 ppm + 50 ppm salicylic acid at 15 & 40 DAS, T7: GA3 20 ppm + 75 ppm salicylic acid at 15 & 40 DAS, T8: GA3 35 ppm + 50 ppm salicylic acid at 15 & 40 DAS and T9: GA3 35 ppm + 75 ppm salicylic acid at 15 & 40 DAS. Sowing was done using the dibbling method with a spacing of 30 x 10 cm. The greatest plant height (57.13 cm) at harvest, number of leaves plant-1 (38.38) at 60 DAS, number of branches plant-1 (11.48) at harvest, leaf area plant-1 (13.68) at 60 DAS, number of nodules plant-1 (67.42) at 60 DAS, dry matter plant-1 (12.30 g) at harvest and number of pods plant-1 (30.73), pod yield plant-1 (13.72 g), seed yield plant-1 (14.09 g) at harvest were recorded following the application of GA3 35 ppm + 75 ppm salicylic acid at 15 and 40 DAS throughout the entire crop growth period. The lowest values for the above-mentioned parameters were recorded in the control treatment.