Pinching and application of growth regulators are known to influence the plant characteristics in several ways. Prior to performing pinching operations, it is crucial to determine the optimal growth stage, timing, and extent for better results; while plant growth regulators can be highly beneficial, their correct usage is essential, as misuse can potentially harm plants, and their application should be timed in accordance with developmental stages. Therefore present investigation entitled “Effect of pinching and different plant growth regulators on growth, yield and quality of vegetable cowpea” was conducted in the year 2022-23, at Instructional Farm, Department of Vegetable Science, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola with the objective to study the effect of pinching and plant growth regulators and to find out the suitable plant growth regulator with concentration and pinching for growth, yield and quality of vegetable cowpea cv. PDKV Rutuja. The experiment was laid out in Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) with fourteen treatment combinations. First factor of pinching with two levels viz., with pinching (at 30 DAS) and without pinching and second factor of different plant growth regulators with seven levels viz., GA3 20ppm, GA3 40ppm, 6BA 20ppm, 6BA 40ppm, CCC 100ppm, CCC 200ppm and control. The treatments were replicated thrice. The results of present investigation revealed that, the growth parameters in terms of plant height, branches per plant, number of leaves was increased with the spraying of GA3 at 40ppm. Whereas pinching at 30 DAS increased all growth parameters except plant height. The yield and yield contributing characters viz., days to flower initiation, number of green pods per plant, pod length, seeds per pod, average weight of green pod, green pod yield were increased with application of GA3 at 40ppm and also with pinching at 30 DAS. The quality parameters such as protein content per pod, chlorophyll index of leaves was increased due to spraying of GA3 40 ppm and also with pinching at 30 DAS. As regards to the interaction effect of pinching and different growth regulators, the treatment combination P1H2 viz., cowpea plants pinched at 30 DAS and sprayed with GA3 at 40ppm produced maximum number of branches per plant, number of green pods per plant, average weight of green pod, green pod yield and also protein content per pod.

Cowpea, Pinching, Plant growth regulators, Growth, Yield, Quality

Based on the findings of the present investigation, it can be concluded that pinching and application of different plant growth regulators significantly influences the growth, yield and quality of cowpea. Among the various treatments, the combination of pinching at 30 days after sowing and foliar spray with GA3 at 40 ppm at 30 and 60 DAS demonstrated notable advantages, resulting in enhanced growth, increased green pod yield, and improved quality.

Ajanya P., V.S. Kale, A.M. Sonkamble, N.M. Konde and T.H. Rathod (2023). Effect of Pinching and Different Plant Growth Regulators on Growth, Yield and Quality of Vegetable Cowpea. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(11): 306-312.