Effect of levels of fulvic acid through foliar sprays on yield and quality of green chilli

Abstract

A pot culture experiment was conducted with Chilli (cv. Phule Jyoti) at College of Agriculture, Pune (MS), during 2009-10. The soil used for experiment was alkaline in nature with medium in organic carbon, having low available N, medium available P and very high available K. The FYM used for extraction of fulvic acid had pH 7.63, EC 1.42 dSm-1 and C/N ratio 19.8 indicated good quality and maturity. The experiment was laid in completely randomized design (CRD) keeping water and fulvic acid sprays (water, 50, 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg L-1) with three replications. The recommended dose of fertilizers (100:50:50 kg ha-1N:P2O5:K2O) and FYM @ 20 t ha-1 were applied to all treatments. The water and fulvic acid sprays were applied at 30 and 45 days after transplanting of Chilli. The results of the experiment revealed that the application of 200 mg L-1 fulvic acid significantly increased yield of green Chilli and nutrient uptake over the other treatments. The significant increase in length of fruit (8.96 cm), girth of fruit (4.50 cm) number of fruits per plant (40.3), green fruit yield (89.9 g plant-1) and dry matter of stalk (39.6 g plant-1) and ascorbic acid content (109.8 mg 100-1 g) were reported under foliar spray of 200 mg L-1 fulvic acid with some few exceptions found at par with 100 mg L-1 FA. The results summarized that the application of 200 mgL-1 fulvic acid as foliar spray extracted from good quality FYM at 30 and 45 days after transplanting to Chilli along with recommended dose of fertilizers and 20 t FYM ha-1 found beneficial to improve the quality, yield and uptake of nutrients by chilli.