Effect of zinc fertilization on growth and yield of finger millet (Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn.)

Abstract

A field investigation entitled “Effect of zinc fertilization on growth and yield of finger millet (Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn.)” was conducted in kharif season of 2024 at Instructional Farm, Post Graduate Institute, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri, Dist. Ahilyanagar (M.S.). The experiment consisted of ten treatments viz., T1: Absolute control; T2: RDF (Recommended dose of fertilizer); T3: GRDF (General recommended dose of fertilizer); T4: T3 + Seed treatment of ZnSO4 @ 2.5 g kg-1 of seeds; T5: T3 + Seed treatment of Nano-ZnO @ 1000 ppm; T6: T3 + Seed treatment of Chelated Zn @ 1 g kg-1 of seeds; T7: T3 + Two foliar sprays of ZnSO4 @ 0.5%; T8: T3 + Two foliar sprays of Nano-ZnO @ 0.15%; T9: T3 + Two foliar sprays of Chelated Zn @ 0.20%; T10: T3 + Soil application of ZnSO4 @ 20 kg ha-1. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design (RBD) with three replications. The Phule Nachani variety seeds were line sown at spacing of 30 cm x 10 cm. At the time of sowing, 5 tons of FYM and the recommended fertilizer dosage (60:30:30 N: P2O5: K2O kg ha-1) were applied as a basal dose using urea, SSP and MOP. Seed treatment, soil application and foliar sprays of different zinc sources were applied as per the treatments. The results revealed that treatment T8 i.e. GRDF + Two foliar sprays of Nano-ZnO @ 0.15% exhibited significantly higher growth attributes viz., plant height (116.7 cm), number of functional leaves (50.5), leaf area (11.45 dm2) and dry accumulation per plant (23.16 g), which was at par with treatment T9 i.e. GRDF + Two foliar sprays of Chelated zinc @ 0.2% with plant height (111.8 cm), number of functional leaves (48.2), leaf area (10.88 dm2) and dry accumulation per plant (22.32 g) and treatment T7 i.e. GRDF + Two foliar sprays of Zinc sulphate @ 0.5% with plant height (110.3 cm), number of functional leaves (47.8), leaf area (10.84 dm2) and dry accumulation per plant (22.02 g). Significantly, the highest grain yield (27.41 q ha-1), straw yield (43.46 q ha-1), biological yield (70.87 q ha-1) and harvest index (38.75%) was obtained with treatment T8 i.e. GRDF + Two foliar sprays of Nano-ZnO @ 0.15%, which was at par with treatment T9 i.e. GRDF + Two foliar sprays of Chelated zinc @ 0.20% with grain yield (25.43 q ha-1), straw yield (42.19 q ha-1), biological yield (67.62 q ha-1) and harvest index (37.59%) and treatment T7 i.e. GRDF + Two foliar sprays of Zinc sulphate @ 0.5% with grain yield (24.97 q ha-1), straw yield (41.74 q ha-1), biological yield (66.71 q ha-1) and harvest index (37.43%). Based on one season experiment, GRDF (5 ton FYM + 60:30:30 N: P2O5: K2O kg ha-1) + Two foliar sprays of Nano-ZnO @ 0.15% at tillering and flowering stages or GRDF (5 ton FYM + 60:30:30 N: P2O5: K2O kg ha-1) + Two foliar sprays Chelated zinc @ 0.20% to finger millet crop found beneficial for increase in growth attributes, yield attributes and yield.