Foliar application of boron, urea and GA3 influences earliness of curd production in broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica)

Abstract

Broccoli ( Brassica oleracea var. italica ) which belongs to Brassicaceae family, is an Italian vegetable, native to Mediterranean region. Although broccoli is not so popular yet in Jharkhand, it is slowly gaining popularity during the last few years among the consumers due to its nutritional value including flavour, taste, carotenoids and anticancerous properties. Among the entire cole family, broccoli is rated as most remunerative. To assess the impact of foliar spray of boron, Urea and GA 3 on earliness in curd production of broccoli cv. FIESTA under Ranchi condition, experiments were carried out at the Department of Horticulture, Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi, Jharkhand during winter season of 2013-14 and 2014-15, The experiment was done in Randomized Block Design having sixteen different treatments with three replications. It was recorded that various treatments have influenced the days to curd initiation, days to 50% of curd initiation, days to curd maturity. In general it was recorded that urea application @ 1.0% and 1.5% had advanced the days of initiation and maturity of the curd. Spray of GA 3 at different concentrations of 25 ppm, 50 ppm and 75 ppm had influenced the earliness of the curd positively. GA 3 @ (75 ppm) in combination of urea @ (0.5%) and Boron @ (2%) however enhanced the earliness maximum.