2025, Vol. 8, Issue 6, Part L

author(s)
NM Praveen Kumar Gowda, V Venkatachalapathi, Bhuvaneshwar Rajesh Naik, Ramakrishna Naika, DV Naveen, KS Shubashree and PG Dodewar

abstract
A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of foliar nutrition on the growth and yield parameters of mulberry (V-1 variety) at the College of Sericulture, Chintamani, during the Rabi and Summer seasons of 2023-24. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with eleven different treatments, each replicated three times. Among all the treatments tested, the foliar application of humic acid + fulvic acid at 0.25% concentration, applied at 25 and 40 Days After Pruning (DAP), demonstrated the most significant improvement in mulberry growth and yield. This treatment resulted in the longest shoot length (178.83 cm), the highest number of shoots per plant (15.86), and the maximum number of leaves per plant (353.97). Additionally, it contributed to a larger leaf area (104.57 cm²), which is crucial for optimal photosynthesis and biomass production. Most importantly, this foliar nutrition strategy led to higher leaf yield, recording 1112 grams per plant and an estimated yield of 15,115 kg per hectare per crop, surpassing all other treatments. The findings suggest that humic acid and fulvic acid, when applied at the right growth stages, enhance nutrient uptake, improve plant vigor, and significantly boost mulberry productivity. This makes it a highly effective and sustainable approach for sericulture farmers aiming to maximize leaf yield for silkworm rearing. Given these results, it is recommended that farmers cultivating V-1 mulberry adopt foliar sprays of humic + fulvic acid (0.25%) at 25 and 40 DAP to achieve better growth and higher yields.