EFFECT OF AGRONOMIC BIOFORTIFICATION WITH ZINC AND IRON ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF SORGHUM (Sorghum bicolor L.) HYBRID VARIETIES
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The experiment was conducted at Instructional farm of S.K.N. College of Agriculture, Jobner (Rajasthan) during kharif season of 2023 and 2024. The experiment comprised of thirty-two treatment combinations. The experiment comprised of two hybrid varieties (CSH-16 and CSH-30) and four levels of soil application of zinc and iron in main plot (control, 5.0 kg Zn ha-1 , 5.0 kg Fe ha -1 and application of 5.0 kg Zn ha-1 + 5.0 kg Fe ha-1 ) and four levels of foliar application of zinc sulphate and iron sulphate (control, 0.5% ZnSO4 , 0.5% FeSO4 and 0.5% ZnSO4 + 0.5% FeSO4) at 30 DAS and 50 DAS in sub plot that were laid out in the split plot design and replicated thrice. The hybrid CSH-16 recorded significantly higher plant height and dry matter accumulation at harvest and grain yield as compared to CSH-30. The results revealed that significantly higher plant height and dry matter accumulation at harvest recorded with the combined soil application of 5.0 kg Zn ha-1 + 5.0 kg Fe ha-1 to the tune of 25.09 and 27.72 per cent, respectively over control in pooled analysis. Significantly higher grain (3345 kg/ha), stover (9220 kg/ha) and biological yield (12565 kg/ha) were produced under the combined soil application of 5.0 kg Zn ha-1 + 5.0 kg Fe ha-1 as compared to control and soil application of alone 5.0 kg Zn ha-1 and 5.0 kg Fe ha-1 . Further, based on pooled data foliar application of 0.5% ZnSO4 + 0.5% FeSO4 registered maximum plant height and dry matter accumulation at harvest with per cent increase of 25.09 and 26.68 over control, respectively. Foliar application of 0.5% ZnSO4 + 0.5% FeSO4 recorded higher grain (3323 kg/ha), stover (9186 kg/ha) and biological yield (12509 kg/ha) as compared to control during both the years as well as in pooled analysis.
Source: PLANT ARCHIVES
Institution: Sri Karan Narendra Agriculture University, Jobner
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7204198247