COMPARISON OF SEED DRESSING AND SOIL APPLICATION OF MACRO AND MICRO NUTRIENTS IN GROUNDNUT IN CALCAREOUS SOIL

Abstract

To test the effectiveness of methods of nutrient application in field grown groundnut crop, various micronutrient salts (borax, boric acid, copper sulphate, copper acetate, copper chloride, ferrous sulphate, ferric chloride, manganese sulphate, manganese chloride, and zinc sulphate, zinc chloride) at a rate of 5 kg/ha and macronutrients salts (calcium chloride, calcium nitrate, potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate, potassium chloride) at 10 kg/ha were compared by applying as seed dressing, and also in the furrows in the soil opened for sowing groundnut seed. The mean data of the two application methods revealed that, in general, most of the micronutrient salts and calcium chloride showed their positive response to groundnut grown in calcareous soil and increased the number of pods, pod yield, shelling per cent, oil content and seed size of groundnut over control. However, there was interaction among the various nutrients and their methods of applications on the yields and other parameters. When these nutrients were applied as seed dressing, only copper sulphate, copper acetate, ferrous sulphate, manganese sulphate, and calcium chloride could increase the yield and other parameters. Boric acid, copper chloride manganese chloride, zinc chloride, zinc sulphate, ferric chloride, calcium nitrate, potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate and potassium chloride when applied as Seed dressing caused damage to seed, and reduction in field germination hence should not be used. Interestingly, response of copper sulphate, manganese sulphate, calcium chloride and ferrous sulphate as seed dressing was extraordinary and hence these should be used as seed dressing only. On the other hand boric acid, borax, copper acetate, copper chloride, were better as soil application and hence should be used as soil application.