Zinc fertilization on zinc dynamics, availability and uptake by tomato-french bean-cucumber cropping sequence in an alfisol
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The objective of current investigation is to study direct and residual effects of Zn application on Zn fractions and availability in soil, yield and Zn uptake in tomato - french bean - cucumber system. One year field experiments were conducted during 2018-2019 in soil with DTPA extractable Zn of 0.88 mg kg-1. Treatments were one time soil application of 5, 10, 15 and 20 kg Zn ha-1 through ZnSO4.7H2O as basal dose only to tomato; foliar application of 0.5% ZnSO4.7H2O (two times 45 and 60 days after planting in each crop) and control (where Zn fertilization was not done). Crop yield was recorded and DTPA-Zn and Znfractions in soil were analyzed. Soil application of Zn had enhanced soil DTPA-Zn, total Zn content of soil, fruit and dry matter yields, however, beyond 10 kg ha-1 Zn application, significant yield improvement was not recorded. Soil Zn application increased Zn concentration and uptake. Foliar Zn spray did not show any significant change in yield and Zn uptake. Exchangeable-Zn and Zn associated with easily reducible Mn fractions of soil were largely contributed to Zn availability in soil and uptake. Soil application of 10 kg Zn ha-1 yr-1 is recommended in low Zn soils for enhancing productivity of vegetable systems with three crops raised in a year in sequence. However, when soil DTPA-Zn reaches 1.5 mg kg-1, the need based application of Zn to soil can be avoided because no yield response was found beyond this level.
Institution: Indian Institute of Horticultural Research
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4413228726