Sustaining the Yield of Maize, Blackgram, Greengram, Groundnut, Cotton, Sugarcane, and Coconut through the Application of Nutrients and Plant Growth Regulator Mixture

Abstract

The foliar application of nutrients and plant growth regulators (PGRs) at critical crop growth periods can improve the yield of field crops. Hence, the present study was conducted to quantify the effects of the combined application of nutrients and PGRs (crop-specific formulation) on maize, blackgram, greengram, groundnut, cotton, sugarcane, and coconut yield. In all the crops except coconut, the treatments included (i) a foliar spray of crop-specific nutrients and PGR combinations and (ii) an unsprayed control. In coconut, the treatments included (i) the root feeding of coconut-specific nutrients and PGR combinations and (ii) an untreated control. Crop-specific nutrient and PGR formulations were sprayed, namely, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) maize maxim 1.5% at the tassel initiation and grain-filling stages of maize, TNAU pulse wonder 1.0% at the peak flowering stage of green gram and black gram, TNAU groundnut-rich 1.0% at the flowering and pod-filling stages of groundnut, TNAU cotton plus 1.25% at the flowering and boll development stages of cotton, and TNAU sugarcane booster 0.5% at 45 days after planting (DAP), 0.75% at 60 DAP, and 1.0% at 75 DAP of sugarcane. The results showed that the foliar application of TNAU maize maxim, TNAU pulse wonder, TNAU groundnut-rich, TNAU cotton plus and TNAU sugarcane booster and the root feeding of TNAU coconut tonic increased the yield of maize, pulses, groundnut, cotton, sugarcane, and coconut, resulting in higher economic returns.