Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) oilseed crop in India also known as "the poor man's nut" or "the king of vegetable oilseeds where it ranks first in terms of area and second in terms of output after soybean. Mepiquat chloride (MC) is an important growth retardant inhibits vegetative growth and accelerates the development of reproductive parts by reducing plant height, thereby decreasing the distance between the source and sink, resulting in better translocation of photosynthetic into developing pods, which is expected to improve groundnut harvest index. Hence the present study, was conducted on three groundnut genotypes viz. TG37A, J87 and SG99 to observed the difference of growth retardant mepiquat chloride, water spray. The growth retardant, mepiquat chloride @700ppm significantly reduced days to initiation of flowering, 50% flowering, completion of flowering and days to maturity for whereas SPAD value increased after growth retarded treatment in all three genotypes. Similarly, Physiological data recorded at 60 and 90 DAS revealed that plant height, root length, root weight was decreased with mepiquat chloride@700 ppm. However, number of branches, nodules number, and nodules weight, dry weight of root, leaves and shoot were more with mepiquat chloride@700 ppm over control. Source-sink relationship revealed that SG99 registered with higher Source-sink relationship at 60 DAS and J87 at 100 DAS. Pod yield, shelling percentage, and kernel yield, kernel per pod were also increased after treatment over control also added by 3.6 % increase in 100 kernel weight mepiquat@700 ppm.

Groundnut, Mepiquat chloride, SG-99, TG37A, J87, Yield trait

Mepiquat chloride (MC) is an important growth retardant inhibits vegetative growth and accelerates the development of reproductive parts by reducing plant height, thereby decreasing the distance between the source and sink, resulting in better translocation of photosynthetic into developing pods, which is expected to improve groundnut harvest index. Hence the present study, was conducted on three groundnut genotypes viz. TG37A, J87 and SG99 to observed the difference of growth retardant mepiquat chloride, water spray. The growth retardant, mepiquat chloride @700ppm significantly reduced days to initiation of flowering, 50% flowering, completion of flowering and days to maturity for whereas SPAD value increased after growth retarded treatment in all three genotypes.

Mamta Bajya, Pushp Sharma and Shelly Nayyar Dhaliwal (2023). Assessment of Mepiquat Chloride in Hastening the Maturity of Groundnut. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(8): 270-277.