Energy Productivity and Efficiency of Mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] in Response to Foliar Application of Growth Retardants and Micronutrients Hansda Chandrashekhar1, Sharma Rajni1,*, Jaidka Manpreet2, Deol J S1 1Department of Agronomy, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141 004, India 2Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Moga-142 001, India *Corresponding author: rajni-sharma@pau.edu
Online Published on 19 April, 2024. Abstract In agriculture, energy is an essential input required to enhance crop productivity as well as to ensure food and nutritional security. Any cropping system is considered to be ideal, if it provides more energy output per unit input of energy. Farming and cultivation of crop plants is in a constant process of conversion of energy through the biological process of plant photosynthesis which includes conversion of solar energy into food, feed, fibre and so on. Due to low input requirements of pulses than cereals, pulses are considered as low energy input crops but being indeterminate has certain physiological disorders. The present experiment emphasised on investigating the proper and efficient use of energy for the mungbean production. The energy flow of sixteen different treatments comprising of control (with and without water spray), mepiquat chloride (MC) 200 and 300 ppm applied at 30 DAS, single or double application of 0.5% ZnSO4 applied at 35 DAS or 35 and 45 DAS, single or double application of 0.2% borax applied at 35 DAS or 35 and 45 DAS and combination of MC + ZnSO4 and MC + borax, was carried out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Maximum output of energy, its use efficiency, and productivity were obtained with MC300 or 200 ppm + 0.5% ZnSO4 at 35 and 45 DAS followed by ZnSO4 @ 0.5% at 35 and 45 DAS. Thus, it can be concluded that under excessive vegetative growth conditions, MC 300 ppm + double application of 0.5% ZnSO4 at 35 and 45 DAS can be recommended, otherwise, sole application of ZnSO4 @ 0.5% applied twice at 35 and 45 DAS, also proved to be energy productive and efficient. Top Keywords Efficiency, Energy use, Mepiquat chloride, Productivity, ZnSO4. Top |