Ameliorative Effects of Nitrogen Application on Vegetative Growth and Productivity in Genotypes of Ragi (Eleusine coracana Gaertn.) under Saline Conditions

Salinity and low soil nitrogen availability are important growth limiting factors for most crops. The proper use of N fertilizer is not only important for growth but it may also alter the salinity tolerance of plants depending on the level of salinity.

The present study was undertaken to determine the interactive effects of N nutrition and saline irrigations (3, 6, 7.2, 10, 12 and 14 dSm^-1) on growth and grain productivity in two varieties of finger millet viz. VL-315 and Local Hills. Different growth and productivity parameters (like plant height, dry weight of shoot, root and leaves, dry weight of panicle/plant, no. of grains, grain yield/ plant etc.) adversely affected by saline irrigations, however, nitrogen nutrition minimized at different levels of salinity.

The positive response of nitrogen was comparatively higher at lower salinity levels (3-7.2 dSm^-1) as well as at control than higher salinity (10-14 dSm^-1). The effect of salinity was lower in cv. VL- 315 than Local Hills, but the interactive effects of N nutrition and salinity also enhanced the dry weight of shoot, root, leaves, dry weight of panicles and grains/plant. It is probable that N nutrition had enhanced assimilation of NO₃^-1-N, through the activity of NRA which further increased total nitrogen and protein content in leaves, hence, enhanced growth, biological and grain yield in both cultivars.