Effect of foliar nutrition of micro nutrients mixture on nutrient uptake by sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

Abstract

The field experiment was conducted at MARS farm Raichur to study the response of sunflower to foliar application of micronutrient mixture. General Grade-I micronutrient mixture recommended by Karnataka State Department of Agriculture consisting Fe: 2.0%, Mn: 1.0%, Zn: 3.0% and B: 0.5% prepared at laboratory was used in the study. Treatments includes RDF, RDF + ZnSO4 @ 10 kg ha-1 and combination of these two treatments with foliar application of Grade-I micronutrient mixture @ 2.5, 5.0 and 10 ml L-1 of water with a spray volume of 300 litres is used. One absolute control was also included as a treatment to assess the impact of micronutrient mixture foliar application on sunflower nutrient uptake. The foliar application of micronutrient mixture has resulted higher nutrient uptake than the absolute control and treatments without foliar applications. The highest uptake of nutrients was observed in a treatment that received application of RDF (90:90:60 kg ha-1 of NPK plus 100 kg ha-1 of gypsum) + soil application of ZnSo4 @ 10 kg ha-1 with foliar application of micronutrient mixture @ 10 ml L-1 of water when compared to the other treatments.