Effect of different levels of phosphorus and zinc on growth and yield of cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.)

Abstract

The study was conducted at the Research Field of the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Naini Agricultural Institute, SHUATS, during the Zaid season of 2021 to assess the effect of different levels of Phosphorus and Zinc on growth and yield. Soil reaction was almost neutral (pH 6.8), organic carbon was medium (0.562%), available nitrogen was low (220 kg/ha), potassium was medium (240.7 kg/ha), and accessible phosphorus was extremely high (28.2 kg/ha) in the sandy loam soil that was used for the experiment. The electrical conductivity was 0.409 ds/m as well. The experiment was set up using a Randomized Block Design, which consisted of nine treatment combinations that were replicated three times and had three levels of zinc (0,10 and 20 kg/ha) and phosphorus (0, 25 and 50 kg/ha). The result shows that significantly highest growth attributes of Cluster bean at 80 DAS viz., Plant height/plant (95.16 cm), dry weight/plant (34.87 g), number of nodules/plant (32.83) and crop growth rate (20.20 g/g/day). And yield attributes viz., number of pods/plant (42.12), grains/pods (9.41), test weight (37.12 g), grain yield (1484.15 kg/ha), Stover yield (2675.00 kg/ha) and Gross return (INR 1,24,639.00), Net return (INR 86,275.00) and Benefit cost ratio (2.25) were found higher with application of Trichoderma 5 g/kg seed + Zinc 25 kg/ha.