Influence of urea, nano urea and seaweed extracts on the performance of waterleaf [Talinum triangulare (Jacq)]

The investigation conducted during summer, 2024 at Horticulture Research Farm (HRF), Department of Horticulture, M.S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion university of Technology and Management, Paralakhemundi, Odisha, using randomized block design with three replications comprising of nine treatments with urea foliar spray at 2 and 3 per cent, nano urea at 2, 3 and 4 ml l–1 and seaweed extract at 4, 5 and 6 ml l–1, revealed maximum plant height (62.90 cm), number of leaves (212.80), number of branches (17.57), leaf length (12.05 cm) and stem length (40.64 cm) with the treatment T6 (seaweed extract at 6 ml l–1). The midrib length (11.74 cm) and leaf area index (29.63) were the highest with nano urea at 4 ml l–1. The yield parameters such as fresh leaf yield plot–1 (1907.01 g m2 –1) and total yield kg ha–1 (4508.90 kg ha–1) was recorded with treatment T6 (seaweed extract at 6 ml l–1). The quality parameters such as nano urea at 4 ml l–1 resulted in the highest levels of calcium (1.58%), magnesium (2.16%), and sodium (700.3 mg kg–1). Seaweed extract at 6 ml l–1 produced the highest nitrogen content (2.86%) and also led to the highest vitamin a (35.2) and folic acid (13.24 mcg 100 g–1) levels. Nano urea at 2 ml l–1 achieved the highest chlorophyll-a concentration (288.4), while urea at 2 per cent resulted in the highest chlorophyll-b (128.9) and the hydrocyanic acid levels with seaweed extract at 6 ml l–1 resulted 2.84 mg kg–1.