Differential Response of Crops to Trace Elements under Delhi Conditions

A significant response to manganese was recorded in field experiments on a I.A.R.I. (Delhi) farm soil (pH 7.7) on the yields of potato, oats and gram. The response to boron was observed with potato and lettuce only. Zinc did not prove beneficial to any of the crops. The yields of maize, soybean and rapeseed were not affected in any way with the application of the trace elements singly or in combination. On another field at the same farm that had received heavy dressings of farmyard manure in the preceeding years, potato alone gave a response to manganese and the effects of all the other micronutrients on crop growth were found to be non-significant.