Some improvement strategies for the sustainable chickpea development: Single or combined application of monosodium phosphate and sodium sulphate with or without gibberellic acid treatment by foliar or seed priming

Abstract

An experiment was laid out with a target to enhance the performance of gram by the foliar spray of a minute amount of monosodium phosphate and/or sodium sulphate (P and S each at 2 kg/ha were sprayed in two equal splits, i.e. half at 60 and the remaining half at the 70 DAS alone or in combination with the gibberellic acid (GA3) treatment i.e., spray or soaking or P and S solution at 0.1%) with or without the seed priming of GA3 (10-6M GA3 for 8h) and/ or the GA3 foliar application (10-6M GA3 at 60-70 DAS). Monosodium phosphate and sodium sulphate each at 2 kg/ha were foliage applied in two equal splits, i.e. half at 60 and the remaining half at the 70 DAS alone or in combination with the GA3. Prior to sowing, total seeds were categorised into two groups; one group of seeds was primed in 0.0M GA3 and the other was primed in 10-6M GA3 aqueous solution, each for 8 hours. Total 16 treatments with 10 best combinations of monosodium phosphate and/or sodium sulphate with GA3 are possible viz., FPS, SGA + FP, SGA + FS, SGA + FPS, FGAP, FGAS, FGAPS, SGA + FGAP, SGA + FGAS and SGA + FGAPS. The combined application of monosodium phosphate and sodium sulphate with GA3 stimulated seed yield per plant, total protein and carbohydrate content at 130 DAS, along with other parameters at the 80 and 90 DAS.