Zinc Biofortification of Mungbean Cultivars through Root and Foliar Zinc Fertilization

Zinc (Zn) deficiency in soil limits proper crop growth and yield, and bio-available zinc content in produced food stuffs as required to human nutrition for thoroughgoing physiological functioning and development. So, Zn bio-availability is to be enhanced in food crops through suitable methods where agronomic approach could give a short-term solution. A field investigation was conducted with eight mungbean cultivars with four treatments viz. no Zn (control), soil Zn with 5 kg Zn ha-1, foliar Zn with spraying of 1% aqueous Zn solution on crop foliage at 35 and 50 days after seed sowing, and soil Zn + foliar Zn applications. Plant growth, yield traits and grain yield, and grain Zn contents of all eight cultivars of mungbean were significantly enhanced by Zn treatments. Application of root (soil) Zn was responsible for higher grain yield, while foliage Zn application was beneficial for Zn enrichment in mungbean grain. Irrespective of the mungbean cultivars, the root Zn, foliar Zn, and root Zn plus foliar Zn applications were responsible for about 16, 12 and 25% higher grain yield, 14, 27 and 37% higher grain Zn enrichment, 31, 22 and 47% higher net economic return, and 12, 8 and 16% higher benefit cost ratio, respectively than that at control. A combine Zn application both in root and foliage played a complementary role for ensuring higher grain yield and net economic return on one hand and the greater Zn content in the grains on the other.