Influence of plant growth regulators on growth, flowering and fruit yield of bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standl.]

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out with three levels each of five plant growth regulators namely, (IAA, TIBA, IBA, GA3 and Ethrel) respectively, were sprayed at second and fourth leaves stage on bottle gourd plants to find out their response on growth, flowering and fruit yield. The study was conducted at Vegetable Research Farm, CCS, Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar during Springsummer season of 2017-18. The results clearly indicated that application of Ethrel 200 ppm significantly increased most of the growth and fruit yield attributes over control treatment. The spraying of Ethrel 200 ppm significantly reduced the length of internodes (11.4 cm), days to appearance of first male flower and early fruit harvest (56.4; 62.7 days), number of staminate flowers per plant (102.7), sex ratio (6.0) as well as main vine length at final harvest (353.7 cm), whereas the same dose significantly increases number of primary branches /vine (16.8), numbers of pistillate flowers per plant (17.2), longer fruit length & more diameter (31.5; 7.3 cm), number of fruits per vine (7.6), average fruit weight (825.6 g) and fruit yield per plot and per hectare (27.6 kg and 349.2 q), respectively. Whereas, the spray of GA3 60 ppm significantly reduced the number of primary branches per plant (9.9), number of pistillate flowers per plant (8.7), fruit length & diameter (22.9; 5.8 cm) number of fruit per plant (3.3) and fruit yield per plot and per hectare (18.7 kg, 238.4 q). From the study, it was concluded that bottle gourd cv.GH-22 plants when sprayed with Ethrel 200 ppm produced the maximum fruit yield (349.2q/ha)