Influence of Various Methods of Zinc Fertilization on Growth and Yield of Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana) Varieties

Zn deficiency was predominant in soils of Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, which causes yield reduction in most of the crops especially in finger millet. Zinc has important role in enzyme activation viz., oxidoreductase, transferases, hydrolases, lyases, isomerases and ligases. The deficient soil gives us the zinc deficient food which is said to be the major root cause for malnutrition among the children. Hence present study was intended to find out most appropriate method and time of zinc fertilization for higher productivity, grain quality and zinc fortification with two major finger millet varieties viz., vakula and tirumala.

The field experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications and two varieties viz., vakula (V₁) and tirumala (V₂) with seven zinc application treatments which includes: control (T₁); NPK (30-30-20) + FYM @ 10 t ha⁻¹ (T₂); T₂ + soil application (SA) of ZnSO₄ @ 25 kg ha⁻¹ as basal (T₃); T₂ + SA of chelated zinc sulphate @ 5 kg ha⁻¹ as basal (T₄); T₂ + FA of 0.2% ZnSO₄ at ear head emergence stage (T₅); T₂ + foliar application (FA) of 0.2% ZnSO₄ at grain filling stage (T₆); T₂ + FA of 0.2% ZnSO₄ at ear head emergence and grain filling stages (T₇).

Foliar application of 0.2% ZnSO₄ at ear head emergence and grain filling stages registered significantly highest grain and straw yield of 3150 kg ha⁻¹ and 7364 kg ha⁻¹, respectively compared to control and other zinc fertilization treatments. Between the two tested varieties tirumala variety recorded higher grain yield (2298 kg ha⁻¹) compared to vakula variety (2230 kg ha⁻¹).