Enhancing Chilli Cultivation in Rain-Fed Regions: The Role of Naphthalene Acetic Acid and Gibberellic Acid

Abstract

Chilli cultivation in rain-fed regions faced challenges due to environmental factors that resulting in reduced yields. To address these challenges and optimize chilli cultivation in such moisture stress conditions, a study was conducted to investigate the effects of Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA) and Gibberellic Acid (GA3) as foliar sprays on the growth and yield parameters of chilli plants in 2022 at Ramghat, Surkhet, Nepal. The study utilized a Randomized Completely Block Design (RCBD) with different concentrations of NAA and GA3 as treatments, along with a control group. Various growth parameters such as plant height, number of branches and leaves per plant were monitored, along with yield parameters including fruit stalk length, fruit diameter, and yield per plant. The results indicated that NAA at 50 ppm significantly increased plant height, number of branches and leaves per plant compared to the control group at all growing stages. GA3 at different concentrations also generally resulted in higher phenotypic plant characters compared to the control and NAA treatments. However, high concentrations of both NAA and GA3 had negative effects on plant growth. In terms of yield parameters, both NAA and GA3 treatments showed promising results, with increased yield per plant compared to the control group. Notably, GA3 at 50 ppm demonstrated the highest yield per plant. These findings suggest that NAA at 50 ppm and GA3 at 50 ppm had the potential to enhance chilli cultivation in rain-fed regions by improving growth and increasing yields. The study provides valuable insights for chilli farmers especially to mitigate the challenges posed by moisture stress and improve profitability particularly in rain-fed conditions.