Effects of age of seedling, different macro and micro-nutrients on growth and yield of Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) grown during kharif season of Konkan condition

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to study the “Effect of age of seedlings at transplanting, different nutrient levels and micronutrient on growth, yield and quality of proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) grown during kharif season in Konkan region of Maharashtra state. The experiment was laid out in split split plot design with three main plot, two sub plot and four sub sub plot treatments. The main plot treatments comprised three different ages of seedlings of 20, 30 and 40 days old, i.e. A1, A2 and A3 respectively. The two sub plot treatments consisted different nutrient combinations viz.,100% RDF and 125% RDF i.e. N1 and N2 respectively, There are four sub sub plot treatments comprise Micronutrient viz. Control, Application of Zinc Sulfate @ 15 kg /ha, application of Ferrous Sulfate @ 15 kg/ha and Combination of Zinc Sulfate and Ferrous Sulfate i.e. M1, M2, M3 and M4 respectively. The result revealed that, the proso millet crop transplanted with 30 days old seedlings recorded significantly higher growth attributes, grain yield and straw yield over all other treatments. Similarly, higher values of yield attributing characters viz., a number of panicles hill-1, length of panicle (cm), weight of panicle (g), a number of rachis panicle-1 and test weight (g) were recorded under 30 days old seedlings. In Fertilizer levels, 125% RDF through chemical fertilizer treatment recorded significantly higher mean plant height hill-1, number of functional leaves, hill-1, a number of functional tillers hill-1 and plant dry matter accumulation hill‑1 than the other treatments. Also, 125% RDF through chemical fertilizer produced significantly higher yields and yield attributes as compared to the rest of the nutrient combinations. In Micronutrients M4 i.e. Combination of FeSo4 and ZnSo4 through soil application treatment recorded significantly higher mean plant height hill-1, a number of functional leaves, hill-1, a number of functional tillers hill-1 and plant dry matter accumulation hill‑1 than the other treatments. However, treatment M4 i.e. the combination of micronutrient produced significantly highest yields and yield attributes as compared to the rest of the combinations.