Response of Vitamin B1 (Thiamine Hydrochloride) in Improving Growth and Yield of Mustard (Brassica juncea L.)

A field experiment according to simple randomized block design was conducted with the aim to find out the effects of foliar spray of thiamine hydrochloride (vitamin B1) on growth, nutrient uptake and yield characteristics of mustard (Brassica juncea L.) variety (Var.) Varuna. The plants were sprayed with 0.01, 0.02 and 0.03 wt% thiamine hydrochloride solution and a spray of distilled water was also maintained as a control. Spraying was done in a single spray after 40 days of sowing (DAS) i.e., at flower initiation stage (Ansari, 1988). The growth parameters studied include plant fresh weight, plant dry weight, leaf area (LA), leaf area index (LAI), crop growth rate (CGR), relative growth rate (RGR), net assimilation rate (NAR) and uptake of N and P at different growth stages. Yield as well as its components such as number of pods per plant, 1000 seed weight, yield, biological yield, harvest index, oil content and oil yield were measured at harvest. In general spray of 0.03 wt% of thiamine hydrochloride solution was found to be the best in comparison to any other concentration of the treatment for most of the parameters studied. Growth parameters like plant fresh weight, plant dry weight, CGR, RGR and NAR showed significant results at the early stages of sampling (that is, 60–80 DAS). In case of LA and LAI, there was no significant difference between thiamine hydrochloride spray treatments. Thiamine hydrochloride solution at 0.03 wt% was found significantly best in case of nitrogen uptake at 60 and 80 DAS while in case of phosphorous uptake, 0.02% was statistically the best; however, it was at par with 0.03 wt% thiamine hydrochloride solution at 80 DAS. Different yield parameters like the pod number per plant, biological yield and seed yield as well as oil yield registered significant results. The results suggest that the performance of B. juncea L. var. Varuna can be improved by spraying the plants with aqueous thiamine hydrochloride solution. Thus, it was concluded that the spray of thiamine hydrochloride solution ensured better growth and yield.