Response of micronutrient on growth and yield of finger millet (Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn.)

Abstract

A field investigation entitled “Effect of micronutrient on growth, yield and quality in 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 was laid out in randomized block design (RBD) with ten treatments along withthree replications. The treatments consists of T1: Absolute Control; T2: RDF (60:30:30 N, P2O5, K2O kg ha-1); T3: GRDF (60:30:30 N, P2O5, K2O kg ha-1+FYM @ 5 t ha-1); T4: GRDF + Soil application of ZnSO4 @ 20 kg ha-1; T5: GRDF + Soil application of FeSO4 @ 25 kg ha-1; T6: GRDF + Soil application of Borax @ 5 kg ha-1; T7: GRDF + Soil application of Multi-Micronutrient Grade I @ 25 kg ha-1; T8: GRDF + Two Foliar Spray of 0.5% Boric acid at 30 and 45 DAS; T9: GRDF + Two Foliar Spray of Phule Liquid Micro Grade II @ 1% at 30 and 45 DAS; T10: GRDF + Two Foliar Spray of Chelated Zn @ 0.1% + Chelated Fe @ 0.1% at 30 and 45 DAS with three replications. The results indicated that treatment T7 i.e. GRDF + soil application of Multi-micronutrient Grade I @ 25 kg ha-1exhibited significantly higher growth and yield attributes viz., plant height (115.75 cm), number of functional leaves plant-1 (45.33), leaf area plant-1 (11.45 dm2), and dry matter plant-1 (55.68 g) and number of fingers earhead-1than rest of all treatments, but it was at par with treatment T9 i.e. GRDF + two foliar sprays of Phule Liquid Micro Grade II @ 1% at 30 and 45 DAS and treatment T5 i.e. GRDF + soil application of FeSO4 @ 25 kg ha-1. Similarly, Significant effect of growth and yield attributes resulted higher grain (2457 kg ha-1), straw (3930 kg ha-1) and biological yield (6387 kg ha-1) in treatment T7 i.e. GRDF + soil application of Multi-micronutrient Grade I @ 25 kg ha-1 but it was at par with treatment T9 i.e. GRDF + two foliar sprays of Phule Liquid Micro Grade II @ 1% at 30 and 45 DAS and treatment T5 i.e. GRDF + soil application of FeSO4 @ 25 kg ha-1on basis one season experiment, it could be concluded that, application of GRDF (FYM 5 t ha-1+ 60:30:30 N: P2O5: K2O kg ha-1) + soil application of Multi-micronutrient Grade I @ 25 kg ha-1or GRDF (FYM 5 t ha-1+ 60:30:30 N: P2O5: K2O kg ha-1) + two foliar sprays of Phule Liquid Micro Grade II @ 1% at 30 and 45 DAS to finger millet crop found beneficial for increase in growth and yield.