Performance of Lentil Lens culinaris Medikus under Different Phosphorus Sulphur and Zinc Levels

Abstract

newline The present investigation entitled Performance of Lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) under Different Phosphorus, Sulphur and Zinc Levels was conducted at Instructional Farm (Agronomy), Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur during rabi seasons of 2020-21 and 2021-22 with the objective to find out the impact of different levels of phosphorus, sulphur and zinc on growth, yield, quality nutrient content and uptake and economics of lentil crop. The field experiment was laid out in randomized block design (factorial) by replicating thriceconsisting 18 treatments combinations of three levels of phosphorus (30, 40 and 50 kg P2O5 ha-1), three levels of sulphur (15, 20 and 25 kg S ha-1) and two levels of zinc (control and 0.5 % ZnSO4). The foliar spray of ZnSO4 was carried out at 55 days after sowing. newlineThe application of 40 kg P2O5 ha-1 produced the best results in terms of crop growth rate (2.64 g m-2 day-1), primary branches plant-1 (3.25), dry matter accumulation (9.77 g plant-1), root-shoot ratio (2.23), pods plant-1 (54.26), seeds pod-1 (1.56), seed yield (1755 kg ha-1), haulm yield (3797 kg ha-1), total uptake of N (93.20 kg ha-1), total uptake of P (19.37 kg ha-1), total uptake of K (59.60 kg ha-1), total uptake of S (9.99 kg ha-1), total uptake of Zn (146.56 g ha-1), net return (85811 and#8377; ha-1) and BC ratio (2.25) over 30 kg P2O5 ha-1 on pooled data basis, which was statistically comparable with application of 50 kg P2O5 ha-1. newlineApplication of 25 kg S ha-1 produced higher growth and yield attributes viz., plant height, crop growth rate and seeds pod-1 etc., among the different sulphur levels. Based on pooled data, the results showed that application of 25 kg S ha-1 significantly increased lentil yield during both the years, including seed yield (1790 kg ha-1), haulm yield (3795 kg ha-1), total uptake of N, P, K, S, and Zn (96.47, 20.05, 61.60, 11.18 kg ha-1, and 150.33 g ha-1), net return (87467 and#8377; ha-1) and B-C ratio (2.27). Although, for