Impact of zinc enriched pressmud compost, azophos, ZnSO4 and vermiwash for enhancing yield attributes and yield of pearl millet cv. CO7 in black soil

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) is an erect annual short duration crop. It is grown globally in 29 million ha in more than 40 countries. Zn deficiency reduces not only the grain yield, but also nutritional quality of grain and ultimately nutritional quality of human diet. Pressmud contains cellulose, hemicellulose, fiber, organic carbon in addition to nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, micronutrients viz., zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn) and also contains beneficial microorganisms. Azophos is a composite culture consisting of azospirillum and phosphate solubilizing bacteria. It contains essential macro and micro plant nutrients, plant growth-promoting hormones (auxin and gibberellins), enzymes and symbiotic microbes. To find the effect of these above sources on yield attributes and yield of pearl millet, field experiment was carried out at the Farmer’s Field at Isukkali Katteri Village, Kilpenathur Taluk in Tiruvannamalai District. There were eight treatments and three replications in Randomized Block Design (RBD). The effect of different treatments on yield attributes viz., earhead length, earhead girth, earhead weight, 1000 grain weight, grain and stover yield were studied and recorded. The results of the field experiment revealed that application of Zn– EPMC @ 10 t ha-1 + Azophos @5 kg ha-1 + [email protected]%+VW@5% (T8) recorded significantly highest yield attributes viz., earhead length, earhead girth, earhead weight and 1000 grain weight were 32.45 cm, 8.56 cm, 51.98 g and 9.04 g, grain and stover yield of pearl millet were 3670 and 7287 kg ha-1, respectively compared to control (T1).