Effect of rhizome treatment on growth and yield of turmeric

2 4 (0.25,0.5 and 1.0%), KNO (0.25,0.5 and 1.0%), and 3 ABSTRACT The experiment was conducted at teaching farm, Mondouri, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, W.B. during 2009 and 2010, to assess the efficacy of different chemicals on growth and yield of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) cv. Suguna. Five chemicals namely GA (50, 100 and 200 ppm), Ethrel (25, 50 and 100 ppm), KH PO (0.25, 0.50 and 1.0%), KNO (0.25, 0.50 and 1.0%) and 3 2 4 3 Thiourea (0.25, 0.50 and 1.0%) were included in this investigation. The experiment was laid out in RBD with three replications. Rhizomes (30-35 g) were soaked in different chemicals for two hours and water soaked rhizomes for same duration was treated as control. The plot size was 3 x 1 m and treated rhizomes were planted at 25 x 25 cm spacing. The FYM @ 20 tonnes per ha along -1 with NPK @ 150:60:150 kg/ha was applied uniformly to all the treatments. Crop was mulched immediately after planting with -1 paddy straw @ 10 t ha . Maximum plant height (184.16 cm), leaf number (22.78) and tiller number (3.28) were noticed in plants raised from thiourea 0.5%, KNO 0.25% and thiourea 0.25% at 180 days after planting. Rhizomes treated with KH PO 0.5% 3 2 4 produced significantly higher maximum clump weight (346.28 g), yield per plot (14.97 kg/ 3 sq. m) and projected yield (34.37 -1 2 -1 t ha ) as compared to control 258.34g, 10.62 kg/3m and 26.55 t ha respectively. The other promising treatments with respect to yield were GA 200 ppm (14.35 kg/ 3 sq. m) and KNO 0.25% (13.75 kg/ 3 sq. m). 3 3