Biostimulants- Advanced technique for enhancing yield and L-DOPA content in velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens L.)

Velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens L.) is a perennial leguminous medicinal crop that has a restorative effect which makes it as a valuable ingredient in pharmacological and therapeutic applications. The seed contains non-protein amino acid L-DOPA having pharmaceutical properties viz.., anti-parkinson, aphrodisiac and neuro-protective. The impact of four bio-stimulants on seed yield and L-DOPA content in velvet bean was studied at ICAR-KVK, Bengaluru Rural District, Karnataka, India. Seed treatment with Sinnorhizobium mililoti and application of RDF along with a foliar spray of humic acid based bio-stimulant at 3ml/l resulted in maximum vine length (383.60 cm), number of branches plant-1 (9.87), number of leaves plant-1 (117.73), leaf area (20930 cm2), LAI (5.81), pod weight plant-1(270.64 g), seed yield (46.71 q ha-1), protein(31.94 %), L-DOPA content (5.52%) and L-DOPA yield (256.98 kg ha-1). The same treatment enhanced the number of days taken to 50 % flowering and maturity their by extending the vegetative and reproductive phase which in turn increase the yield. Therefore, humic acid based bio-stimulant can be employed in the commercial cultivation of velvet beanalong with seed treatment with S. mililoti and application of RDF to meet the required demand of L-DOPA by phyto-pharmaceutical industries.