Exogenous Application of Melatonin-loaded Nanoformulation for Yield Enhancement in Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana) under Drought Condition

Aim: To study the performances of melatonin-loaded nanoformulation on growth, yield and yield attributes of finger millet.

Place and Duration of the Study: The pot culture experiment was carried out under glasshouse conditions at the Department of Crop Physiology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, during the rabi season of 2022.

Methodology: The Experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) with four replications, including six treatments: T1: no spray, T2: 60 μM CF of MT, T3: Surfactant alone, T4: 20 μM NF of MT, T5: 40 μM NF of MT, T6: 60 μM NF of MT were used.

Results: Among various melatonin combinations T6: Foliar spray @ 60 µM NF of MT recorded maximum photosynthetic rate, Fv/Fm ratio, antioxidant enzyme activity, and grain yield.

Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that foliar application of melatonin-loaded nanoformulation 60 μM was found to be an effective concentration for reducing drought effect and improving physiological, biochemical, yield and yield attributes in finger millet under drought conditions.