Standardization of pruning height, pruning interval and foliar nutrients on growth and yield of curry leaf (Murraya koenigii Spreng.)

A field experiment on effect of pruning height and pruning interval on growth, yield and quality of curry leaf (Murraya koenigii Spreng.) was conducted at the Department of Spices and Plantation Crops, Horticultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Periyakulam during 2015. The experiment was laid out in split-split design consisting of three factors, viz., factor – I pruning level (L₁ – 15 cm and L₂ – 30 cm), factor – II pruning interval (P₁ – 2 months interval of harvest and P₂ – 3 months interval of harvest) and factor – III foliar applications of biostimulants (N₁ – 0.25% ZnSO₄, N₂ – 0.25% FeSO₄, N₃ – 2% seaweed extract and N₄ – 0.3% humic acid) constituting 17 treatment combinations. Biometrical observations were made from randomly selected five plants and subjected to statistical analysis. The result reveled that, among the two levels of pruning, two intervals of pruning and foliar nutrients registered the highest growth character viz., plant height (139.30 cm), number of secondary branches (9.40 plant^-1), stem girth (21.34 cm), leaflet length (7.30 cm), leaflet width (4.3 cm) and leaf area (11.98 cm²). It was also observed that the yield characters viz., leaf yield (0.66 g cutting^-1 plant^-1) and estimated leaf yield (4583.04 kg cutting^-1 ha^-1) were observed to be the highest with application of 30 cm pruning height + 3 months interval of harvest + 0.3% humic acid. The treatment L₂P₂N₄ (30 cm pruning height + 3 months interval of harvest + 0.3% humic acid) registered the highest growth and yield characters of curry leaf.