INTERACTIVE EFFECTS OF ROW SPACING AND GIBBERELLIC ACID ON GROWTH AND YIELD ATTRIBUTES OF MUNG BEAN

Abstract

Research was undertaken to examine the comparative effects of row spacings and gibberellic acid (GA₃) applications at various days after sowing (DAS) on mung bean growth and yield. The study was carried out at the Agricultural Research Institute (ARI) in Dera Ismail Khan during the cropping season from April to July 2024. The study was conducted in a randomized complete block design (split-plot arrangement) with various row spacings (15, 30, 45 and 60 cm) in the main plot. The sub-plots comprised GA₃ application at various times, namely control (T₁), 15 DAS GA₃ (T₂), 30 DAS GA₃ (T₃), 45 DAS GA₃ (T₄), and 60 DAS GA₃ (T₅). The study found that 30 cm row spacings significantly improved all growth attributes, including leaf area index, crop growth rate, chlorophyll content, and yield components such as seeds per pod, pod length, and 1000-seed weight, resulting in increased seed yield and harvest index, demonstrating its superiority over other row spacings. Furthermore, GA₃ at 30 DAS outperformed all other treatments in terms of total plant growth and mungbean seed yield. Nonetheless, GA₃ application at 45 DAS increased crop growth. The combination of 30 cm row spacings with GA₃ application at 30 DAS improved mung bean growth and yield. The current study concluded that adopting 30 cm row spacing, particularly with GA₃ application at 30 DAS, is an effective strategy to increase mung bean yield.