Effect of Different Concentration of Thiamine Hydrochloride (Vitamin-B1) on Growth and Yield of Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) var. Varuna

One pot experiment was conducted according to simple randomised block design on Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) Var. Varuna to establish the most suitable concentration for soaking of mustard seeds in thiamine hydrochloride solutions of concentrations, that is, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.06, 0.09, 0.12% on the performance of mustard. The seeds were soaked in thiamine hydrochloride solutions for 4 h. Water-soaked seeds were treated as control. Uniform basal dose of N90, P30 and K30 fertilizers were given to the soil before filling in the pots at the rate of NPKkg/ha. The soaked seeds were sown in clay pots containing autoclaved sandy loam soil and compost in 3:1 mixture. The parameters such as shoot dry weight, root dry weight, leaf area, crop growth rate (CGR), relative growth rate (RGR) and net assimilation rate (NAR) were calculated from 40 to 120 days after sowing. Number of pods per plant, 1,000 seed weight, yield, biological yield and harvest index were measured at harvest. Soaking concentration of 0.03% of thiamine hydrochloride was found to be the best in comparison to any other concentration of the treatment for most of the parameter studied. In growth parameters, leaf area, plant dry weight, root dry weight showed significant results of the early stages of sampling [that is, 40–80 Days after sowing (DAS)]. CGR also followed the same trend, however, RGR and NAR did not follow the same at any stage of the sampling. Yield parameters like pod number per plant, biological yield and seed yield registered significant result. Thus, it was concluded that soaking of mustard seeds in 0.03% thiamine hydrochloride ensured better growth and yield.