Effect of Iron and Boron on Growth and Yield of Foxtail Millet

Abstract

The field experiment was conducted during Zaid season 2023 at experimental field of Crop Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology And Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India. The soil of experimental plot was sandy loam in texture, nearly neutral in soil reaction (pH 7.8), low in organic carbon (0.62%), available nitrogen (225 kg/ha), available phosphorus (38.2 kg/ha) and available potassium (240.7 kg/ha). The experiment was laid down in Randomized Block Design with ten treatments which are replicated thrice. The experiment consists of Iron and Boron. The treatment combinations are T1: Iron 0.25% + Boron 0.25%, T2: Iron 0.25% + Boron 0.50%, T3: Iron 0.25% + Boron 0.75%, T4: Iron 0.50% + Boron 0.25%, T5: Iron 0.50% + Boron 0.50%, T6: Iron 0.50% + Boron 0.75%, T7: Iron 0.75% + Boron 0.25%, T8: Iron 0.75% + Boron 0.50%, T9: Iron 0.75% + Boron 0.75%, T10: Control (RDF 50:30:20 NPK kg/ha). Results revealed that significant and higher plant height (84.43 cm), maximum number of tillers/hill (8.60), higher plant dry weight (14.41 g), higher panicle length (15.33 cm), number of grains/ panicle (1,263.00), test weight (4.34 g), grain yield (1.99 t/ha), straw yield (3.39 t/ha), maximum gross return (INR 66,480.00), net return (INR 43,186.40) and B:C ratio (1.85) were recorded in treatment 9 [Iron 0.75% + Boron 0.75%].