Effect of growth regulators at different stages on growth and yield of fennel (foeniculum vulgare mill.)

A field experiment was conducted at experimental block of the Department of Plantation, Spices, Medicinal and Aromatic Crops, Kittur Rani Channamma College of Horticulture, Arabhavi, Belagavi district, Karnataka during Rabi-2015-16 and 2016-17 to study the effect of growth regulators at different stages on growth and yield of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.). The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications. The experiment consisted of two main plots - stages of application [S1: Vegetative stage (45 DAS) and S2: Reproductive stage (Flowering stage)] and seven subplots-growth regulators [G1- GA3 -50 ppm, G2- NAA -25 ppm, G3- Ethrel-50 ppm, G4- Benzyl Adenine (BA)- 10 ppm, G5- Ascorbic acid- 50 ppm, G6- Salicylic acid- 0.5 ppm and G7- Cycocel (CCC)- 50 ppm]. Plants received GA3 50 ppm at vegetative stage recorded significantly higher seed yield (32.12 g plant-1 and 2.38 t ha-1), number of umbels (27.73), number of umbellets per umbel (21.20) and dry matter production (187.34 g plant-1 and pooled data of 2 years) over other treatment combination. Among the growth regulators plants treated with GA3 50 ppm at vegetative stage registered maximum plant height (220.14 cm) compared to other treatments and it was on par with NAA 25 ppm at vegetative stage (217.11 cm). The minimum plant height (192.43 cm) was found with Cycocel 50 ppm at flowering stage.