Growth, Yield and Quality of Indian Spinach (Beta vulgaris var. bengalensis Hort.) as Influenced by the Application of Methyl Jasmonate and Salicylic Acid

Abstract

Indian spinach (Beta vulgaris var. bengalensis Hort.) is an important leafy vegetable whose productivity and quality may respond to foliar application of plant growth regulators. A field experiment was conducted during the Rabi season at Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, to evaluate methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and salicylic acid (SA). The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with nine treatments, viz. T₁: Control, T₂–T₅: Methyl jasmonate @ 50, 100, 150 and 200 ppm and T₆–T₉: Salicylic acid @ 50, 100, 150 and 200 ppm, respectively, with three replications to evaluate the effect of different concentrations of Methyl Jasmonate (MeJA) and Salicylic Acid (SA) on crop performance. The results revealed that foliar application of plant growth regulators significantly enhanced all measured parameters compared with the untreated control. Among the treatments, Methyl Jasmonate @ 150 ppm (T₄) proved to be the most effective, producing the highest plant height (49.40 cm), number of leaves per plant (13.00), leaf width (5.32 cm), fresh leaf weight (52.91 g plant⁻¹), and total leaf yield (67.67 t ha⁻¹). The same treatment also recorded the maximum ascorbic acid content (30.41 mg 100 g⁻¹), the highest chlorophyll content (10.52 mg g⁻¹), the maximum net return (₹226,245 ha⁻¹), and the highest benefit:cost ratio (2.02). The findings demonstrate that foliar application of Methyl Jasmonate @ 150 ppm is an effective and eco-friendly strategy for enhancing productivity, nutritional quality and economic returns of Indian spinach under the agro-climatic conditions of Rajasthan.