2025, Vol. 8, Issue 4, Part F

author(s)
Ashis Mohanta, Umesha C and Sohini Sarkar

abstract
The experiment investigating the "Impact of Crop Geometry and foliar application of Plant Growth Regulators on Growth and Yield of Pearl Millet" was meticulously executed during the summer season of 2024 at the esteemed Crop Research Farm, an integral part of the Department of Agronomy at SHUATS, Prayagraj, thereby providing a controlled environment for rigorous data collection and analysis. The experimental site's soil composition was characterized as sandy loam, a texture known for its balanced properties of water retention and drainage, exhibiting a slightly alkaline pH of 7.8, which is a crucial factor influencing nutrient availability and plant health. The organic carbon content of the soil was measured to be 0.72%, indicating a moderate level of organic matter, which is essential for soil fertility and microbial activity. Furthermore, the soil nutrient profile revealed that available nitrogen was 178.48 kg/ha, phosphorus was 27 kg/ha, and potassium was 233 kg/ha, thus helping to understand the initial nutrient status of the experimental plot, which will be further modulated by the applied treatments. The experiment was laid out at Randomized Block Design, a statistical approach that minimizes the impact of variability within the experimental area, with ten distinct treatments, each replicated thrice to ensure the reliability and robustness of the results Viz. T1: Control 80:40:40 (NPK Kg/ha), T2: 35cm x 15cm + Brassinolide - 0.3 mg/l, T3: 35cm x 15cm + Gibberlic acid - 40 mg/l, T4: 35cm x 15cm + NAA - 50 mg/l, T5: 45cm x 15cm + Brassinolide - 0.3 mg/l, T6: 45cm x 15cm + Gibberlic acid - 40 mg/l, T7: 45cm x 15cm + NAA - 50 mg/l, T8: 55cm x 15cm + Brassinolide - 0.3 mg/l, T9: 55cm x 15cm + Gibberlic acid - 40 mg/l, T10: 55cm x 15cm + NAA - 50 mg/l. The results obtained that 45cm×15cm along with NAA 50mg/l recorded significantly higher plant height (199.78 cm), plant dry weight(61.17 g/plant), crop growth rate (12.25g/m2/day), earhead/m2 (22.67), grains/ear head (1449.20), grain yield (2.90t/ha), stover yield (8.48t/ha), harvest index (25.49%).