Effect of Zinc and Bio-fertilizers on Growth and Yield of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during Rabi season of 2021-22 at the experimental field of the Crop Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology And Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India. The Experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with Nine treatments replicated thrice. To study the Response of Zinc and Bio-fertilizers on growth and yield of Wheat. The treatments consist of zinc 5, 7.5, 10kg/ha and bio-fertilizers Azotobacter (20 g/kg seeds), Azospirillum (20 g/kg seeds), Azotobacter (10 g/kg seeds) + Azospirillum (10 g/kg seeds). The soil of experimental plot was sandy loamy in texture, nearly neutral in soil reaction (pH 7.8), low in organic carbon (0.35%). The results revealed that treatment-9 with application of [Zinc (10 kg/ha) + Azotobacter (10 g/kg seeds) + Azospirillum (10 g/kg seeds)] was recorded significantly higher plant height (96.10 cm), higher plant dry weight (20.31 g/plant), higher number of spikes/m2 (371.84), higher number of grains/spike (55.17), higher grain yield (5.697 t/ha), higher straw yield (12.59 t/ha) and highest harvest index (31.14 %). Higher gross returns (INR 152544.4/ha), higher net returns (INR 108712.4/ha) and higher B:C ratio (2.48) were also recorded in treatment-9 [Zinc (10 kg/ha) + Azotobacter (10 g/kg seeds) + Azospirillum (10 g/kg seeds)].