Effect of GA3 and Nutrient Sprays on Growth of Kokum (Garcinia indica Choisy) Seedlings

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at the College of Horticulture, Dapoli, during the year 2023 - 2024. The study was conducted using a Randomized Block Design with eight treatments, each replicated three times and the treatments included T1- GA3 @ 250 ppm, T2- GA3 @ 300 ppm, T3- GA3 @ 350 ppm, T4- 19:19:19 @ 0.5%, T5- 19:19:19 @ 1%, T6- 19:19:19 @ 2%, T7- 19:19:19 @ 2.5% and T8- Control with the aim to evaluate the influence of GA3 and nutrient sprays on the growth of kokum seedlings and to identify the optimal concentrations that would enhance growth and grafting success. The highest seedling height (28.53 cm), number of leaves (19.87), girth at collar region (3.44 mm)  number of nodes (8.07) and internodal length (2.09 cm) were recorded in treatment T3 i.e. spraying with GA3 @ 350 ppm. The highest survival percentage of seedlings (96.00%), minimum number of days for obtaining 80 percent graftable seedlings (142.33 days), overall percentage of graftable seedlings (90.00%) and maximum percentage of graft success (94.82%) found in treatment T3.