Effect of Seaweed Extracts on Growth, Yield Parameters in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L)

Abstract

This field experiment entitled “Effect of seaweed extracts on growth, yield parameters in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum. L)” was conducted during rabi at Field Experimentation Centre of the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology & Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India during 2019 & 2020. The experiment was consisted of 2 varieties and 14 treatments comprising of seaweed extracts (i.e., Ascophyllum nodosum, red and brown algae) which was laid in RBD (Randomized Block Design) with kabuli & desi chick pea, 14 treatments, 03 replications. The result shows that among all the treatments, the genotypes kabuli & desi chickpea treated with 2.0% A.  nodosum for 6 hours recorded the maximum value in growth parameters such as percent field germination after four (10.74 & 10.74), seven (49.26 & 47.41), and ten (77.41 & 70.74) DAS, Days to 50% flowering (88.67 & 86.00), days to maturity (154.00 & 156.33), number of branches 25 (17.93 & 16.60) and 50 DAS (36.70 & 33.57) and height at 25 (4.47 & 3.93) and 50 (7.27 & 7.00) DAS.  Similar results were also recorded in different yield parameters in both kabuli & desi chickpea genotypes such as number of pods plant (61.52 & 60.24), number of pods per plot (1025.67 & 922.00), number of seeds per plant (102.5 & 100.4), number of pods per plant (14.25 & 1525), seed yield per plant (28.30 & 25.35), seed yield per plot (358.44 & 328.86), biological yield (3187.42 & 3061.24), economical yield (1341.67 & 1231.33), and harvest index showing most superior values when treated with treatment 2.0% Ascophyllum nodosum for 6 hours. Remaining treatments i.e, treatment with 0.5% Ascophyllum nodosum solution, 1.0% Ascophyllum nodosum solution, 0.5% red and brown algae solution, 1.0% red and brown algae solution, 2.0% red and brown algae solution for 6 hours recorded the second most effective treatments observed significantly superior than untreated checks.