Vol. 12, Issue 2 (2023)

Author(s):
SR Chaudhary, JM Patel, IM Patel, JR Patel, JR Jat and NG Chaudhary

Abstract:
The field experiment was carried out at the Agronomy Instructional Farm, Bio Science Research Centre, S.D. Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar, Dantiwada during the period of March 2019- 2021 to study the effect of zinc and bio NPK on growth, yield and quality of summer pearlmillet. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design in three replications. The experimental treatment comprised of different nine treatments asT₁: RDF (120:60:00 kg N:P₂O₅:K₂O ha^-1), T₂: RDF + Soil application of Zn @ 2.5 kg ha^-1, T₃: RDF + Soil application of Zn @ 5.0 kg ha^-1,T₄: RDF + Foliar spray of ZnSO₄7H₂O @ 0.5% at 30 and 45 DAS, T₅: RDF + Foliar spray of ZnSO₄7H₂O @ 1.0% at 30 and 45 DAS, T₆:RDF + Soil application of Zn @ 2.5 kg ha^-1 + Bio NPK (1 lit. ha^-1), T₇: RDF + Soil application of Zn @ 5.0 kg ha^-1 + Bio NPK (1 lit. ha^-1),T₈:RDF + Seed priming with 1% Zn solution and T₉: RDF + Seed priming with 2% Zn solution. (Seed priming: Seeds will be soaked for 16 hrs. in respective solution keeping seed solution ratio of 1:5 (w/v) at 25^o C). In light of the results obtained from this investigation, it is indicated that among the different treatments, an application of RDF + Soil application of Zn @ 5.0 kg ha^-1 + Bio NPK (1 lit. ha^-1) (T₇) recorded significantly higher grain and straw yield of pearlmillet over rest of treatments.