Effect of Different Treatment Combinations on Uptake of Zinc and Iron by Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench)

The present experiment was carried out during the kharif 2010 at Instructional Farm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh. The experiment was laid out in the factorial randomized block design with four replications and nine treatment combinations, considering three levels each of zinc (0, 25 and 50 kg ZnSO₄ ha⁻¹) and iron (0, 25 and 50 kg FeSO₄ ha⁻¹). The application of ZnSO₄ did not produced any significant effect on content of all the nutrients in stalk at all the growth stages and its content in pod except S and Zn content at 30, 60, at harvest and in pod. The significantly higher S content (0.596, 0.538, 0.327 and 0.455 %) and Zn content (133, 149, 206 and 119 mg kg⁻¹) in stalk at 30, 60, at harvest and in pod with the soil application of 50 kg ZnSO₄ ha⁻¹, respectively. The application of 50 kg ZnSO₄ ha⁻¹ significantly increased the uptake Zn (137, 263 and 400 g ha⁻¹) by pod, stalk and its total uptake by okra as compared to control. While, significantly increased in uptake of Fe (2230 and 2418 g ha⁻¹) by stalk and its total uptake with soil application of 50 Kg ZnSO₄ ha⁻¹, respectively. The application of FeSO₄ also did not produced any significant effect on content of all the nutrients in stalk at all the growth stages and its content in pod except S and Fe content at in stalk 30, 60, at harvest and in pod. The significantly higher S content (0.585, 0.537, 0.324 and 0.455%) and Fe content (1193, 1284, 1027 and 298 mg kg⁻¹) in stalk at 30, 60, at harvest and in pod with the soil application of 50 kg FeSO₄ ha⁻¹, respectively. The application of 50 kg FeSO₄ ha⁻¹ significantly increased Fe (202, 2265 and 2466 g ha¹) by pod, stalk and its total uptake by okra as compared to control. While, significantly increased in uptake of Zn (135 and 388 g ha⁻¹) by pod and its total uptake with application of 50 kg FeS04 ha⁻¹.