Growth and nutrient uptake of multicut fodder sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) as influenced by nutrient levels and foliar nutrition

Abstract

An experiment was performed to evaluate the effect of nutrient levels and foliar nutrition on growth and nutrient uptake of multicut fodder sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench). The experiment was undertaken at the Instructional Farm attached to the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala, from 31 January - 01 July 2025. The field experiment laid out in randomized complete block design with 10 treatments and three replications. The study consisted of (3x3) +1 treatments with two factors and a control. The first factor was source of nutrients (S), which included (s1: 1% DAP; s2: 1% KNO3; s3: 1% 19:19:19), second factor was levels of nutrients (N), which included (n1: 50 per cent RDN; n2: 75 per cent RDN; n3: 100 per cent RDN) and a control (KAU POP 2024). The results revealed that basal application of FYM at 5 t ha-1, along with soil application of 75% RDN supplemented with foliar spray of 1% DAP at 20 DAS, 40 DAS, and 20 days after the first and second cut, recorded the highest growth and nutrient uptake, such as length of internodes, nitrogen uptake, and phosphorus uptake. Higher stem girth was also recorded by the same treatment, which was on a par with soil application of 75% RDN supplemented with foliar spray of 1% KNO3 at 20 DAS, 40 DAS, and 20 days after the first and second cut. The study concluded that basal application of FYM 5 t ha-1 along with soil application of 75% RDN supplemented with foliar spray of 1% DAP at 20 DAS, 40 DAS, and 20 days after the first and second cut improved growth characters and nutrient uptake.