Madras Agric. J., 2021; https://doi.org/10.29321/MAJ.10.000530 107 | 10-12 | 1 RESEARCH ARTICLE Effect of Bio-formulations on Qualitative and Quantitative Traits of Mulberry (Morus sp.) under Different Seasons Thanga Roja K*, Murugesh K A and Shanmugam R * Department of Sericulture, Forest College & Research Institute Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Mettupalayam – 641 301 ABSTRACT The experiments were conducted during, Kharif and Rabi (2018 - 2020) to investigate the effect of various bio-formulations on the quality and productivity of mulberry leaves. Among all the treatments, the maximum values of quantitative attributes such as shoot length (145.93 cm), internodal length (5.33 cm), number of leaves per shoot (35.04), fresh leaf weight per plant (719.05 g), dry leaf weight (241.28 g) and shoot yield (11.57 MT/ha/ harvest) were recorded in mulberry plants treated with EM @ 1 per cent in Kharif season. Besides, the biochemical constituents viz., total chlorophyll (2.80 mg g -1 ), carotenoids (0.824 mg g -1 ) crude protein (27.45 %), moisture (77.11 %), and moisture retention capacity (66.32 %) were notably higher in the EM treated mulberry leaves compared to control in Kharif season. The present study indicated that spraying EM @ 1 per cent on mulberry three times at 15 days interval during Kharif season helped improve the quality and yield of mulberry leaves compared to control. Keywords: Mulberry; Kharif; Rabi; Bio-formulations ; Productivity INTRODUCTION Mulberry (Morus sp.) is a hardy, deep-rooted, and fast-growing perennial plant belonging to the family Moraceae. It is the sole food plant for silkworm Bombyx mori. L. The growth and development of B. mori is directly proportionalto the nutritional status of the mulberry leaf. Most of the sericultural farmers use inorganic inputs excessively to improve mulberry productivity, which is causing sustainable damage to the ecosystem. The application of various chemicals not only increases the cost of leaf production but also spoils the soil health status of the mulberry garden. Hence, the use of organic inputs in mulberry is essential to improve silkworm growth and cocoon quality. The application of bio- formulations on mulberry as a foliar spray is the easiest way to increase mulberry leaf productivity. Studies show that the foliar applications of bio- formulations to mulberry signifcantly enhanced the uptake of essential nutrients, plant growth regulators, and benefcial microorganisms (Wididana and Higa, 1994). Apart from the usage of fertilizer and foliar formulations to increase productivity and nutrient quality, the season plays an important role in crop growth. In India, cropping season is classifed into two main season’s viz., Kharif and Rabi based on the monsoon. The Kharif-cropping season is from July –October during the southwest monsoon and the Rabi cropping season is from October-March (Prasanna, 2014). Mulberry is a perennial crop grown throughout the year in India, particularly in southern states. However, it is presumed that the yield and nutrient status of mulberry considerably vary in different seasons (Sudhakar et al., 2000). Sufficient information is not available on the infuence of seasonal variation on the growth of mulberry. Keeping in view the importance of the application of bio-formulations and their impact on crop yield due to seasonal variation, the present study is undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of different bio-formulations on the growth and productivity of mulberry during different seasons. MATERIALS AND METHODS The feld experiments were conducted in the well-established mulberry garden with V1 variety located in the ‘J’ block of Forest College and Research Institute, TNAU, Mettupalayam during, 2018 – 2020 of different seasons (Kharif and Rabi). The experiment consisted of fve treatments viz., panchagavya (3%), vermiwash (2%), effective microorganism (EM) (1%), seriboost (0.25 %), and distilled water spray. The above formulations and, a commercially available multi-micro nutrient mixture were applied on mulberry leaves thrice at an interval of 15 days i.e., on 15, 30 and 45 days after pruning (DAP) using a knapsack sprayer. Mulberry plot sprayed with distilled water alone served as the control. Observations on growth attributes such as shoot length, number of leaver per shoot, internodal *Corresponding author’s e-mail:rojathanga@gmail.com