Performance of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) under different levels of granular fertilizers and nano fertilizers

Abstract

In India, fertilizer-related challenges such as imbalanced nutrient application, low nutrient use efficiency, and escalating fertilizer costs pose significant hurdles in sunflower production. To address these challenges, the use of nano fertilizers has emerged as a promising solution, offering improved nutrient delivery, enhanced efficiency, and sustainable agricultural practices. A field experiment on “Performance of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) under different levels of granular fertilizers and nano fertilizers” was conducted during the rabi 2023-24 in Kakol village, Haveri district, Karnataka, using a split-plot design with three replications. Fifteen treatment combinations were taken with three fertilizer levels (M1: RPP, M2: RPP – 25 percent RDN, M3: RPP – 25 percent RDN and RDP) and five foliar sprays (S1: 4 ml nano urea l-1 of water at pre flowering stage, S2: 4 ml nano DAP l-1 of water at pre flowering stage, S3: 4 ml nano urea l-1 of water at pre and 50% flowering stage, S4: 4 ml nano DAP l-1 of water at pre and 50% flowering stage, S5: Control). Results revealed that among fertilizer levels higher plant height, number of green leaves plant-1, chlorophyll content, seed yield, stalk yield and B C ratio were recorded with RPP. Among different foliar sprays higher plant height, number of green leaves plant-1, chlorophyll content, seed yield, stalk yield and B C ratio were recorded with foliar spray of nano DAP 4 ml l-1 water at pre and 50 percent flowering stages. Nutrient uptake was higher with RPP among fertilizer levels and higher with foliar spray of nano DAP at two stages. From the results of our experiment, we can conclude that the integrated use of granular fertilizers with nano fertilizers promotes sustainable sunflower yield increases by enhancing nutrient efficiency, reducing input costs, improving soil health, and minimizing environmental impact.