EFFECT OF ZINC AND BORON FERTILIZER ON YIELD AND SEED QUALITY OF GROUNDNUT

Abstract

The experiment was carried out at the experimental field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh during April 2021 to August 2021 to study the effect of zinc and boron fertilizer on yield and seed quality of groundnut. The experiment consisted of two factors; Factor A: Zinc fertilizer (4 levels) viz., Zn : 0 kg zinc sulphate ha -1 (control), Zn 2 : 2.50 kg zinc sulphate ha

ii -1 , Zn 3 1 : 5.00 kg zinc sulphate ha : 7.50 kg zinc sulphate ha -1 , and factor B: Foliar application of boron (4 levels) viz., B : Control (no boric acid L -1 of water), B 2 : 0.75 g boric acid L -1 of water (3.75 kg boric acid ha -1 ), B 3 : 1.00 g boric acid L -1 of water (5.00 kg boric acid ha -1 : 1.25 g boric acid L -1 of water (6.25 kg boric acid ha -1 ). The experiment was laid out in a Splitplot

design with three replications. Plant length, no. of leaves plant -1 , no. of branches plant -1 ,

no. of pods plant -1 , length of pod, 100 seeds weight, pod yield plot , pod yield, seed yield, stover yield, biological yield, harvest index, protein content, oil content, vitamin E content and germination percentage were compared among the individual and combinations effect of treatments. Results indicated that, zinc and foliar application of boron had significant influence on most of the growth, yield and yield contributing characters and seed quality of groundnut. In case of combined effect of zinc and foliar application of boron, the maximum pod yield (2.34 t ha -1 -1 ) and B -1 and Zn 4 ), seed yield (1.78 t ha ), protein content (38.60%), oil content (47.85%), vitamin E content (9.65 mg 100 g seed -1 ) and germination (91.60%) were recorded from Zn 4 B treatment combinations. On the other hand, the minimum pod yield (1.43 t ha -1 4 ), seed yield (0.90 t ha ), protein content (29.35%), oil content (32.64%), vitamin E content (4.75 mg 100 g seed ) and germination (73.90%) were recorded from Zn 1 B treatment combinations. Therefore, it can be concluded from the study that the treatment combinations of Zn 1 (groundnut growing on 7.50 kg zinc sulphate ha -1 with foliar application of boron as boric acid @1.25 g L -1 of water) was found to be most suitable combination for the potential pod yield and seed quality of groundnut.