Effect of Nano ZnO on Growth and Yield of Wheat under Salt Affected Soils

Background: Nano zinc is important tool in agriculture for improving crop growth, yield and quality characteristics while increasing nutrient usage efficiency, reducing fertiliser waste and lowering cultivation costs. About 7.0 million ha of agricultural land is affected by varying degrees of salt problems in the country. The magnitude of yield reduction depends on the crop, soil type and management. The reduction in yield normally ranges from 10% to 90% for wheat, 30% to 50% for rice, 50% to 75% for cotton and 30% to 90% for sugarcane. High concentration of salts in the soils is one of the important factors associated with the low productivity of wheat. Due to high concentration of salts the germination of the seeds is affected which results in to low plant stand and ultimately low productivity. Zn is considered to have seed priming effect and increase the germination and helps to maintain the plant stand. Zn deficiency is the most damaging micronutrient to crop growth and output of all cereal crops, including wheat. Zn deficiency in Indian and global soils is a well-documented constraint in crop production and it is now regarded as the fourth most yield-limiting nutrient in India. Methods: A pot culture study was conducted during Rabi 2022-2023 at Dept. of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola. The experimental saline soil was collected from saline tract of purna valley, medium in organic carbon, moderately calcareous in nature, low in available N, medium in available P, very high in available K, marginal in available S and sufficient in micronutrients but deficient in Zn. The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design with nine treatments replicated thrice. Result: Significantly higher germination percentage (85%), number of tillers per plant (6.80), plant height (50.03 cm) was recorded under T4: RDF+ seed treatment with nano ZnO 1000 ppm @ 8 ml per kg of seed. Maximum spike length (9.29 cm) was recorded in RDF+ foliar spray with of nano ZnO 1000 ppm @ 2 ml per litter. In case of chemical properties of soil i.e., pHs, ECe, organic carbon and available N, P, K, S and Zn content, non-significant changes were observed with the application of nano ZnO.