Effect of phosphorus and micronutrients on growth and yield of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at the Crop Research Farm (CRF), Department of Agronomy, SHUATS, Prayagraj, U.P, India, during the Kharif season of 2023. The experiment was replicated three times according to a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with ten treatments. Three different concentrations of phosphorus (40, 50, and 60 kg/ha) and micronutrients (0.5% FeSO4, 0.5% ZnSO4, and 0.2% Borax) were administered as a topical spray to the leaves. A control group was treated with a mixture of 20:60:40 kg N:P:K/ha. Phosphorus application at a rate of 60 kg/ha and foliar spray of ZnSO₄ at 0.5% (treatment 8) resulted in the highest plant dry weight of 35.54 g, crop growth rate of 25.14 g/m²/day, number of pods per plant of 21.50, number of kernels per pod of 2.13, highest test weight of 365.33 g, seed yield of 3552.10 kg/ha, and B:C ratio of 2.43. The effect of applying a higher quantity of phosphorus, specifically 60 kg/ha, together with a foliar spray of ZnSO₄ at 0.5%, on the growth and yield of groundnut was found to be superior compared to the control treatment.