USE OF GROWTH REGULATORS FOR SEED PRODUCTION OF Canavalia ensiformis (L.) D.C.

Abstract

The use of growth regulators in agriculture is of great interest in crop production; however, there are few or no studies related to their application for seed production of Canavalia ensiformis (L) DC. In the Frailesca region of Chiapas, Mexico this species is being implemented as green manure, due to its adaptability to the soil and climatic conditions of the region; therefore, seed production is essential for its subsequent use and management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of three growth regulators on different production traits of the canavalia crop. The experiment was conducted in Villaflores, Chiapas, Mexico during the Spring-Summer 2023 agricultural season. Canavalia was planted manually at a distance of 1 m between rows and 0.5 m between plants. The growth regulators used were Biozyme TF®, Biocrop® and Mezgrow® at the recommended doses for legumes. The experimental design used was completely randomized, in which seven treatments were evaluated: three treatments with application of regulators 60 days after planting (DAP), three with applications at 60 and 90 DAP; in addition, a control treatment (no application) was included. The growth regulator Biozyme TF® with two applications was the most effective, showing significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) in production traits, such as dry weight per plant, dry biomass per ha, number of pods per plant, weight of pods per plant, number of seeds per plant, dry weight of seeds per plant and dry seed yield.