Vol. 9, Special Issue 12, Part N (2025)

The present investigation was carried out during the Rabi season of 2024-25 at the Centre of Excellence on Protected Cultivation and Precision Farming Unit, College of Agriculture, IGKV, Raipur (C.G). The experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of various plant growth regulators and their combinations on yield and yield attributes of ridge gourd. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with ten treatments and three replications. The treatments comprised GA₃ (25 ppm and 50 ppm), Ethrel (150 ppm and

200 ppm), Paclobutrazol (150 ppm) and their combinations, along with a control. Standard agronomic practices were followed uniformly across all treatments. Observations were recorded on fruit characteristics, yield and economic return. Results revealed that the application of plant growth regulators (PGRs) significantly influenced the reproductive behavior of ridge gourd. Significantly higher fruit-setting percentage (29.90%), average fruit weight (199.53 g), fruit length (53.30 cm) and fruit diameter (6.52 cm) were also recorded under Ethrel 200 ppm + Paclobutrazol 150 ppm, resulting in the maximum fruit yield of 409.67 q/ha and the highest benefit-cost ratio (4.44). The second-best treatment was Ethrel 150 ppm + Paclobutrazol 150 ppm, which also exhibited favorable yield performance. It is concluded that the combined foliar application of Ethrel 200 ppm + Paclobutrazol 150 ppm proved to be the most effective treatment for achieving optimum higher yield and maximum economic return in ridge gourd under the agro-climatic conditions of Chhattisgarh. The treatment increased fruit yield making it suitable for profitable cultivation of ridge gourd during the Rabi season.