Effect of Curd Cutting Techniques and Micronutrient Application on Plant Growth and Yield of Cauliflower (Brassica oleraceae var. botrytis L.) for Seed Production

Abstract

Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.) is an important member of Cruciferae having chromosome number 2n= 2x=18. The present investigation entitled “Curd Cutting Techniques and Micronutrients Application on Seed Yield and Quality of Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.)” was conducted at vegetable seed production farm, Department of Horticulture (Vegetable & Floriculture), BAC, Sabour for two years 2019-20 and 2020-21. There was two level of boron in form of borax (0.3% and 0.4%) and molybdenum (Mo) in the form of ammonium molybdate (0.15% and 0.20%) sprayed at 40 and 60 days after transplanting.  Four curd cutting techniques were applied viz., intact curd (S1), scooping (S2), cross cutting (S3) and one fourth curd removal (S4) on variety (Sabour Agrim) the design of the experiment was Factorial Randomised Block Design with 36 treatment combinations which were replicated thrice. The effect of curd cutting techniques revealed that significantly maximum plant height (82.99 cm), number of leaves per plant (21.92), curd polar diameter (12.31cm), curd equilateral diameter (22.79 cm),   seed yield per plant (48.67 g), least days taken to maturity of siliqua (183.06 days) were recorded in scooping (S2) central portion of curd was removed these were significantly superior to other curd cutting methods. The minimum plant height (78.82 cm), number of leaves per plant (19.31), curd polar diameter (10.77 cm), curd equilateral diameter (19.46cm), seed yield per plant (20.76 g), and maximum days taken to maturity of Siliqua (184.37) were recorded with (S1) intact curd. The effect of micronutrient application revealed that maximum plant height (84.41cm), number of leaves per plant (22.70), curd polar diameter (12.14 cm), curd equilateral diameter (23.13 cm), seed yield per plant (43.45 g) and least days to taken maturity of siliqua (180.88 days) were recorded with foliar application of 0.3% boron with 0.15% molybdenum (M5). The interaction effect due to curd cutting techniques and micronutrients  for number of leaves per plant, curd equilateral diameter and seed yield per plant was found to be significant meaning thereby that different methods of curd cutting influenced with micronutrients  and vice-versa., the treatment combinations S2M5 (scooping with 0.3% boron and 0.15% molybdenum) gave the maximum plant height (87.41 cm), number of leaves per plant (24.67), curd polar diameter was (13.81 cm), curd equilateral diameter (25.24 cm), seed yield per plant (63.31 g ) and least days taken to maturity of siliqua (176.50 days).