Effect of zinc solubilizing bacteria on zinc use efficiency and yield of summer groundnut grown in Entisol

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the year 2017-18 at Post Graduate Institute Farm, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri. The experiment was laid out in Randomised block design with three replication and eleven treatments. The treatments comprised of T1 : Absolute control, T2 : only ZnSB, T3 : GRDF (25:50 kg ha-1 N:P2O5 + FYM @ 5 t ha-1), T4 to T7 were GRDF + 100%, 75%, 50% and 25% RD of Zn through ZnSO4+ ZnSB and T8 to T11 were GRDF + 100%, 75%, 50% and 25% RD of Zn through ZnO + ZnSB. The biofertilizer zinc solubilizing bacteria was given as a seed treatment as well as soil drenching @ 5% at 30 days of sowing. The highest zinc use efficiency 5.04 g g-1 was found in treatment of T7 (25% RD of Zn through ZnSO4 + ZnSB) which was followed by T11 (4.60 g g-1). The highest agronomic efficiency 11.13 kg kg-1 was observed in treatment of 100% GRDF + 100% RD of Zn through zinc sulphate + ZnSB followed by 100% GRDF + 75% RD of Zn through zinc sulphate + ZnSB (9.77 kg kg-1). The oil percent was significantly increased in treatment of T4 (40.96%) over all the treatment. The pod yield of groundnut was significantly increased in treatment of T4 (30.63 q ha-1) over all the treatments except treatment T5 (29.44 q ha-1) which was at par with T4. Haulm yield of groundnut was significantly increased (62.70 q ha-1) in treatment of 100% GRDF (25:50 kg ha-1 N:P2O5 + FYM @ 5 t ha-1 over all the treatments. Thus, It can be concluded that, the application of 100% recommended dose of Zn through Zinc sulphate @ 20 kg ha-1 + 5% ZnSB to seed treatment at sowing and through drenching at 30 DAS along with 100% recommended dose of nutrients to summer groundnut was found beneficial for increased in zinc use efficiency, agronomic efficiency of groundnut in Entisol.