EFFECT OF PLANT GROWTH REGULA TORS AND FERTILIZER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON THE FLOWERING, GROWTH AND YIELD OF SNAKE GOURD iTricosamhes anguina L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted in the Horticultural Farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207 during the period of April to August 2007 to study the effect of plant growth regulators and fertilizer management practices on flowering, growth and yield of snake gourd. The experiment was consisted of two factors. Factor A: Different plant growth regulators viz. control (H0), Ripen-15 (H1), IAA (H2) and Ripen-l S + IAA (HJ) and FactorB: Fertilizer management practices viz. control (F0), organic manure (F 1) and inorganic fertilizer (F2). The experiment was laid out in two factors Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The tallest plant at I 51 flowering time ( 169.3 cm), the lowest ratio of male and female flower (3.21 ), the maximum fruit weight (225.5 gm) and the highest yield (20.47 t/ha) were recorded from the application of Ripen-l S + IAA (HJ) and the minimum was recorded in control condition. The tallest plant at flowering (I 67.3 cm), the lowest ratio of male and female flower (3.65), the maximum number branches per plant (7.67), the maximum fruit weight (213.6 I 51 EFFECT OF PLANT GROWfll REGULATORS AND FERTILIZER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON THE FLOWERING, GRO\VTH AND YIELD OF SNAKE GOURD (Tricosanthes anguina L.) ABSTRACT gm) and the highest yield (I 8.25 t/ha) were recorded from the application of inorganic fertilizer (F2) and the minimum was recorded in control condition. Interaction effect between plant growth regulators and fertilizer management practices showed statistically significant variation in consideration of all the recorded characters. The combination of Ripen-l S + lAA and inorganic fertilizer (H3F2) gave the highest gross return (Tk. 458,000/ha) and the lowest gross return (Tk. 152,000/ha) was obtained in the control condition where no plant growth regulator as well as no fertilizer was applied. The combination of Ripen-15 + lAA and inorganic fertilizer (H3F2) gave highest benefit cost ratio (2.36).