Effect of soil and foliar application of zinc on sorghum (sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) yield, agronomic efficiency and apparent recovery efficiency

Abstract

A field investigation was conducted during kharif season 2015-16 to study the yield of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] grains, leaves, stem and root with soil and foliar application of zinc. Significantly highest grain (32.54 q ha-1), leaves (38.73 q ha-1), stem (79.20 q ha-1) and root (26.90 q ha-1) yield was recorded with soil application of 5 kg Zn ha-1 through ZnSO4 with two foliar sprays before flowering and at dough stage of ZnSO4 @ 0.5% as compared to soil application of 5 kg Zn ha-1 through ZnSO4 and control. Among the eight sorghum genotypes, the genotype CSH-35 recorded significantly highest grain yield (39.87 q ha-1) as compared to the PVK-809, CSV-20, AKSV-181, AKSV-161, AKSV-313, AKSV-314, AKSV-318. The highest agronomic efficiency (AE), apparent recovery efficiency (RE) of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium with soil application of 5 kg Zn ha-1 and two foliar application of ZnSO4 @ 0.5% followed by soil application of 5 kg Zn ha-1. It is inferred that increased Zn level resulted in increased yield of grain, leaves, stem and root of sorghum genotypes.