Effect of foliar spray of water soluble fertilizer at pre flowering stage on yield of pulses

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted at Pulses and Oilseeds Research Station, Berhampore, Murshidabad, West Bengal during pre kharif, kharif and rabi seasons of 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 to study the effect of water soluble fertilizer spray on growth and yield of greengram, blackgram, lathyrus, lentil and chickpea. Pulses are mostly grown by the farmers without any fertilizer application, as positive effect of supplying legume plants with supplementary nitrogen was found to have beneficial effect on enhancing growth and increasing seed yield. Five sets of experiments were laid out in a split plot design with three replications viz. two levels of basal fertilizer application (F 0 -No basal dose of fertilizer, F 1 -Basal dose of fertilizer application @ 20, 40, 40 kg N, P 2 O 5, K 2 O ha −1.) as factor A in main plot and seven levels of foliar spray of water soluble fertilizers at pre flowering stage (no spray, 0.5% NPK(19-19-19), 1% NPK(19-19-19), 2% NPK(19-19-19), 3% NPK(19-19-19), 2% DAP, 2% Urea) as factor B in sub plot. Significantly higher seed yield of pulses were recorded with application of 2% urea spray over basal dose of fertilizer application The lowest seed yield was recorded with no basal fertilizer and spray. Without basal dose of fertilizer application, 3% NPK (19-19-19) spray recorded highest seed yield. Under basal dose of fertilizer application, the results showed a gradual increase in yield with the increase in concentration of NPK (19-19-19) fertilizer spray up to 2%, Among the fertilizer spray treatments irrespective of basal dose of fertilizer application, urea spray was significantly better than all other treatments.