Effect of biomass ash on yield and nutrient uptake of sunflower in vertisol

The present investigation entitled "Effect of biomass ash on yield and nutrient uptake of sunflower in vertisol" was conducted during the Late Rabi season of 2022-23 at Research Farm, Shankar Nagar, College of Agriculture, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design by using biomass briquette ash (BBA) as source of potassium on water soluble and total potassium content basis. Total eight treatments replicated thrice, which comprises T1: 100% NP + 100% WSK through BBA, T2: 100% NP + 75% WSK through BBA, T3: 100% NP + 50% WSK through BBA, T4: 100% NP + 100% TK through BBA, T5: 100% NP + 75% TK through BBA, T6: 100% NP + 50% TK through BBA, T7: 100% RDF (80:60:30) and T8: absolute control. The result revealed that, with the increase in application of water-soluble potassium through biomass briquette ash from 50 to 100% potassium with recommended N and P fertilizers recorded at par results. The maximum seed (19.63 q ha-1) and straw yield (34.58 q ha-1) was observed for application of 50% water soluble potassium through biomass briquette ash with recommended N and P fertilizers, which recorded 68.78 and 0.82% in seeds and 74.62 and 3.44 per cent in straw higher over absolute control and recommended NPK fertilizer dose respectively. The maximum number of capitulum plot-1 (46.67), diameter of capitulum (19.57 cm), number of seeds capitulum-1 (533.47), capitulum yield (31.80 q ha-1), 100-seed weight (5.42 g), oil content (40.58%), protein content (21.75%) and significantly highest nutrient uptake in this treatment.