Polymer based nano pendimethalin for weed management in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Abstract

The study entitled “Propagation studies in teasel gourd [Momordica subangulata Blume subsp. renigera (G.Don) de Wilde]” was conducted at the Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agriculture, Vellayani during 2023- 2024 to standardize the rooting media and propagation techniques in teasel gourd and to assess the growth and yield under field conditions. The study was conducted as three experiments. The first experiment on “Standardization of propagation using cuttings’’ was undertaken from October to December 2023. The treatments were factorial combinations of three types of cutting (top, middle and basal), four concentrations of IBA (0, 250 ppm, 500 ppm and 750 ppm) and three types of rooting media such as cocopeat, cocopeat + vermicompost (1:1) and cocopeat + vermiculite + perlite (3:1:1) arranged in completely randomized design with three replications. The basal cuttings recorded earliest sprouting (13.76 days), highest percentages of sprouting and survival (61.03 % and 60.08 %), longest shoot length, root length and highest number of roots per cutting. Among IBA concentrations, the earliest sprouting was observed in control (11.48 days), while 250 ppm recorded the highest sprouting percentage (70.07 %), survival percentage (69.07 %), shoot length, number of leaves and primary branches per cutting. The highest number of roots (41.81) and root length (7.34 cm) were observed in IBA 750 ppm. Cocopeat + vermicompost (1:1) media was found to be significantly superior to other media in sprouting, survival and growth parameters. Among the treatment combinations, basal cuttings treated with 250 ppm IBA and planted in cocopeat + vermicompost (1:1) recorded the highest sprouting percentage (85.00 %), survival percentage (83.67 %) and shoot length (48.90 cm) at 45 DAP. Whereas, the highest number of roots was observed in basal cuttings treated with 750 ppm IBA and planted in cocopeat + vermicompost (1:1) 124 (50.67). The second experiment on “Standardization of propagation using tubers’’ was laid out in completely randomized design with six treatments such as two types of tuber (whole tuber, cut tuber) and three types of potting media (soil + cocopeat + FYM (1:1:1), cocopeat + vermicompost (1:1) and sand) replicated four times. Cut tubers exhibited earliest sprouting, (15.36 days) maximum sprouting and survival percentages (75.83 % and 74.83 %), highest shoot length (140.50 cm), number of leaves and root length per tuber. Whereas, the highest number of shoots (2.97) and roots (42.22) were recorded in whole tubers. Among the potting media, soil +cocopeat + FYM (1:1:1) showed the best results in sprouting, survival and in other growth parameters, which was on par with cocopeat + vermicompost (1:1) medium. Among the treatment combinations, cut tubers planted in soil + cocopeat + FYM recorded the highest survival percentage (86.50 %), shoot length (158.49 cm), number of leaves (27.83) and root length (31.61 cm) at 45 DAP. The three best treatments from experiments I and II were selected along with seedlings for the third experiment ‘Evaluation of propagule in the field’. The field experiment was laid out in RBD with seven treatments in three replications. The treatments were, T1 - basal cuttings treated with 250 ppm IBA and planted in cocopeat + vermicompost, T2 - middle cuttings treated with 250 ppm IBA and planted in cocopeat + vermicompost, T3 - basal cuttings without IBA treatment and planted in cocopeat + vermicompost, T4 - cut tuber planted in soil + cocopeat + FYM, T5 – cut tuber planted in cocopeat + vermicompost, T6 - whole tuber planted in soil + cocopeat + FYM and T7- seedlings. The longest vine (10.13 m), number of days taken for first flowering (32.78 days), number of days to first harvest (40.89 days) and longest crop 125 duration (236.22 days) were recorded in T4 (cut tuber planted in soil + cocopeat + FYM). The highest number of fruits per plant (132.33) and yield per plant (8.47 kg) was recorded in T5 (cut tuber planted in cocopeat + vermicompost). Seedlings (T7) recorded the highest number of tubers per plant (11.22). Whereas, tuber yield per plant was the highest in T6 (whole tuber planted in soil + cocopeat + FYM) (790.10 g). The study revealed that basal cutting treated with 250 ppm IBA and planted in cocopeat + vermicompost (1:1) media as well as cut tubers in soil + cocopeat + FYM were found to be the best for production of quality planting material in teasel gourd. The plants propagated through tubers were superior in growth and yield attributes under field condition.