Effect of Zinc and Boron on Growth, Yield and Economics of Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during Kharif 2022 at Crop Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, SHUATS, Prayagraj (U.P) to evaluate the effect of zinc and boron on growth, yield and economics of finger millet. The soil of experimental plot was sandy loam in texture, nearly neutral in soil reaction (pH 8.0), low in organic carbon (0.62 %), available N (225 kg/ha), available P (38.2 kg/ha) and available K (240.7 kg/ha). It was a Randomized block design consisting of three levels of zinc (10, 12 and 14 kg/ha) with combination of boron (0.5, 1 and 2 kg/ha), there were 10 treatments, each being replicated thrice. Data was collected from growth and yield parameters and were subjected to analysis of variance method. Results revealed that significant differences such that higher plant height (64.78 cm), maximum number of tillers/hill (6.79), higher plant dry weight (20.25 g), maximum number of fingers/plant (5.52), higher number of seeds/finger (296.52), higher test weight (3.14 g), higher grain yield (2.56 t/ha), higher straw yield (7.79 t/ha), maximum gross returns (110632.00 INR/ha), maximum net returns (74302.00 INR/ha) and maximum Benefit cost ratio (2.04) were recorded in treatment 9 [Zinc (14 Kg/ha) + Boron (2 Kg/ha)]. Zinc 14 kg/ha and boron 2 kg/ha is recommendation for application in finger millet for maximum yields.