Foliar nano urea and micronutrient effect on fruit quality and nutrient uptake in bhendi (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench)

A field experiment was conducted in the Department of Horticulture, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru College of Agriculture and Research Institute, Karaikal, U T of Puducherry, in okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench] during the summer of 2024 to investigate the effect of nano urea and micronutrients spray on fruit quality and nutrient uptake of okra. The experiment was laid out in a randomised block design (RBD) with 15 treatments, each replicated twice. The study materials included nano urea, 19:19:19 NPK WSF, zinc, boron and Arka vegetable special, besides recommended N, P, K fertilisers. Results revealed that the foliar application of Arka vegetable special 2 gm L-1 as foliar spray thrice at 20, 40 and 60th days of sowing along with the recommended dose of fertilisers (RDF-200:100:100 kg NPK ha-1) recorded the minimum crude fibre (11.57 %) and maximum crude protein (20.67 %) content. This treatment exhibited the highest uptake of N, P and K by okra fruits, recording 48.87 kg ha-1, 1.49 kg ha-1 and 44.80 kg ha-1 as well as the highest uptake of N, P and K by okra plant (33.12 kg ha-1, 2.43 kg ha-1 and 64.78 kg ha-1, respectively). Further, the maximum available N (150.94 kg ha-1), P (11.08 kg ha-1) and K (80.05 kg ha-1) in post-harvest soil was observed in foliar spray of Arka Vegetable Special thrice as a supplement with the recommended dose of NPK (200:100:100 kg ha-1). This is attributed to the better nutrient availability aided by basal and top dressing of fertilisers applied in soil, in addition to foliar application. In contrast, nano urea application showed a marginal effect and did not perform better than the control, indicating that its efficiency in okra under these conditions was limited when compared to conventional nutrient sources.