Response of foliar application of humic acid and micronutrient mixture on growth and grain yield of maize crop

Abstract

The efficiency of humic acid (HA) and micronutrient (MN) mixtures as a source, either separately or in combination, was studied to increase the productivity and growth of maize (Zea mays L.). The research was carried out in the College of Agriculture, Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India during the spring season of 2022. The treatments were replicated three times in a randomized complete block design. The HA and MN mixtures were sprayed separately at 0.2% and 0.4% each. Further, the combination of HA @ 0.2% + MN @ 0.2% and HA @ 0.4% + MN @ 0.4% was also applied. The application was done by foliar spray twice on 35 and 50 DAS, along with control using water. The result revealed that foliar spraying of HA at 0.4% + MN at 0.4% significantly (P=0.05) improved the height (cm), LAI, and dry matter accumulation (g m-2) of the maize crop. In comparison to the MN combination, HA generally had more maize growth and yield. A foliar spray with a combination of HA and MN at 0.4% each could result in a higher grain yield of the maize crop, which recorded a 42.62% higher grain yield than the control. Hence, based on the study, foliar application of the HA+MN mixture at 0.4% could be advised to boost maize crop growth and grain yield during the spring season.