Vol. 11, Issue 8 (2022)

Author(s):
Sachin, Sujatha HT, Santosh B Korav and Amit Raj

Abstract:
A field experiment was conducted during Kharif season from July 2021 to October 2021 to study the effect of foliar application of potassium, boron and zinc on growth, yield and economics of soybean at the agriculture research farm of Lovely Professional University, Punjab. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replications comprising of seven treatments. The treatments consisted of control no foliar application), foliar application of potassium nitrate @ 2%, boric acid @ 50ppm, foliar application of zinc sulphate @ 1%, foliar application of potassium nitrate @ 2% + boric acid @ 50ppm, foliar application of potassium nitrate @ 2% + zinc sulphate @ 1% and foliar application of boric acid @ 50ppm + zinc sulphate @ 1%. The growth parameter of soybean such as plant height (48.5cm), number of trifoliate leaf (28.0 plant^-1), leaf area (12.73 dm²plant^-1), leaf areas index (4.2 dm²plant^-1) and dry matter (34.1 g plant^-1), yield parameters such as higher number of pods (46.7 plant^-1), number of seeds per pod (3.2) and seed weight (2.4 plant-1), seed yield (32.3q ha-1), haulm yield (59.7q ha^-1), harvest index (35.1%) and net return (₹83,327 ha^-1) were observed with foliar application of potassium nitrate @ 2% + boric acid @ 50ppm when compared to rest of the treatments. However, foliar application of boric acid @ 50ppm + zinc sulphate @ 1% and foliar application potassium nitrate @ 2% + zinc sulphate @ 1% were on par. Contrarily, control treatment has recorded significantly the lowest growth and yield parameters, yield and economics as compared to foliar application treatments.