MSc

The study entitled “Productivity enhancement of blackgram (Vigna mungo L.)
through foliar nutrition” was conducted at College of Agriculture, Vellayani during
2021-23. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of foliar nutrition
on growth, yield and quality of blackgram.
The field experiment carried out from November 2022 to February 2023, was
laid out in randomized block design with 14 treatments replicated thrice. The
treatments comprised of foliar application of 19:19:19, DAP, nano-DAP and KCl. The
treatments were T1 : foliar application of 19:19:19 (1%); T2 : foliar application of
19:19:19 (2%); T3 : foliar application of DAP (1%); T4 : foliar application of DAP
(2%); T5 : foliar application of nano-DAP (0.5%); T6 : foliar application of KCl (1%);
T7 : foliar application of KCl (2%); T8 : foliar application of DAP (1%) + KCl (1%);
T9 : foliar application of DAP (2%) + KCl (2%); T10 : foliar application of DAP (1%)
+ KCl (2%); T11 : foliar application of DAP (2%) + KCl (1%); T12 : foliar application
of nano-DAP (0.5%) + KCl (1%); T13 : foliar application of nano-DAP (0.5%) + KCl
(2%); C1 : Control (POP). The variety used for the study was Sumanjana. Foliar
application of DAP and nano-DAP were done at 30 DAS; 19:19:19 and KCl were
applied at 45 DAS. All other management practices were followed as per the KAU
package of practices recommendations.
Foliar nutrition had significant influence on the growth and yield of
blackgram. At 40 DAS, taller plants (58.88 cm) were produced by T4 and was on par
with T9 and T11, while, T9 resulted in taller plants (79.45 and 85.91 cm) at both 60
DAS and harvest, which was comparable with T8, T10 and T11. At 40 DAS, the number
of branches per plant was found to be superior (4.02) in T8 and was comparable with
T3, T9 and T11. Similarly, at 60 DAS, T8 recorded more number of branches per plant
(5.94) and was found to be on par with T9 and T10. Higher number of green leaves per
plant (12.91) was produced by T9 at 40 DAS and was comparable with T4, T8 and T11.
At 60 DAS, T8 recorded more number of green leaves per plant (15.03), which was
statistically on par with T9, T10 and T11. At 40 DAS, higher dry matter production
(16.98 g plant-1
) was reported in T8, which was comparable with T9. Similarly at 60
DAS and harvest, T8 recorded higher DMP per plant (37.52 and 42.05 g). It remained
on par with T9, T10 and T11 at both 60 DAS and harvest. LAI was found to be higher
(2.65) in T9, which was comparable with T8 at 40 DAS. T8 resulted in higher LAI
(3.21) at 60 DAS and was on par with T9, T10 and T11.
T4 reported lower number of days (35.54) to 50 per cent flowering, which was
comparable with T9 and T11. Higher number of pods per plant (44.87), pod length
(5.25 cm), hundred seed weight (4.71 g) and seed yield (1598.47 kg ha-1
) were
observed in T8 and was on par with T9. Similarly, higher pod weight per plant (21.89
g), pod yield (2237.38 kg ha-1
) and haulm yield (4171.48 kg ha-1
) were recorded in T8.
It remained on par with T9 and T11.
T8 recorded higher total chlorophyll content of 2.46 mg g-1
at 40 DAS and was
on par with T4, T9 and T11. At 60 DAS, higher total chlorophyll content (2.36 mg g-1
)
was recorded in T8 and was statistically comparable with T9, T10 and T11. At 20-40
DAS, higher CGR (17.47 g m-2
d
-1
) was registered by T8 which was on par with T9. At
40-60 DAS, T8 recorded higher CGR of 27.39 g m-2
d
-1
and was comparable with all
other treatments except T6, T7 and C1. T8 registered higher RGR (24.58, 18.58 and
5.60 mg g-1
d
-1
) and was on par with T9, T10 and T11 at all stages of observation. T8
expressed higher protein content of 23.76 per cent and was statistically comparable
with T9 and T11.
The organic carbon and the available N and K status of soil after the
experiment did not vary significantly with foliar nutrition. However, T8 recorded
higher soil available P (42.96 kg ha-1
) and was on par with T9, T10 and T11. The
treatment T8 recorded higher N and P uptake. The N and P uptake of T8 was found to
be statistically on par with T9 and T11. The highest K uptake was registered by T8
which was followed by T11. T8 recorded significantly higher agronomic efficiency
values of 30.12, 19.33 and 22.22 kg kg-1
for N, P and K, respectively. Physiological
efficiency was significantly higher in T9 for N (46.33 kg kg-1
) and K (64.12 kg kg-1
)
whereas, T8 recorded significantly higher PE value for P (44.20 kg kg-1
). Apparent
recovery for N, P and K was superior in T8 (41.60, 29.05 and 55.77 per cent
respectively). Higher net income of Rs.83100 ha-1
and BCR of 2.08 were recorded
with the foliar application of 1 per cent DAP + 1 per cent KCl (T8) and was found to
be on par with T9.
From the study, it could be concluded that application of RDF along with foliar
application of 1 per cent DAP at 30 DAS followed by 1 per cent KCl at 45 DAS could
be recommended for better growth, yield, protein content, nutrient use efficiency and
profitability in blackgram