Effect of Farmyard Manure, Zinc and Boron on Growth and Yield of Brinjal (Solanum melongena L) in Farmers’ Fields in Bihar, India

Abstract

Zinc and boron are two most important micronutrients found deficient in the intensive vegetable growing fields of the northern parts of Bihar, India. Keeping the above in view, the field trials were conducted in ten farmers’ fields during Rabi season of 2016-17 and 2017-18 with four treatments consisting of: i) Farmers’ practice/control (T1), ii) 10.0 kg Zn + 1.0 kg B / ha (T2), iii) 5 t farmyard manure (FYM) ha-1 with 5.0 kg Zn ha-1 as basal + foliar spray of Zn twice @ 0.5% ZnSO4.7H2O solution - one at maximum vegetative growth stage and another at flower initiation stage + 1.0 kg B ha-1 (T3) and iv) 5t FYM ha-1 with 5.0 kg Zn ha-1 as basal + foliar spray of Zn twice @ 0.5% ZnSO4.7H2O solution - one at maximum vegetative growth stage and another at flower initiation stage with 2.0 kg B ha-1 (T4). The field trials were conducted with randomized complete block design under the supervision of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kishanganj, Bihar. Results revealed that the maximum fruit yield of 280.51 q/ha was recorded with 12.03 maximum fruit number and early days to first fruit harvest (60.86) by the application of 5t FYM ha-1, 5.0 kg Zn ha-1 as basal + foliar spray of Zn twice @ 0.5% ZnSO4.7H2O solution  applied one at maximum vegetative growth stage and another at flower initiation stage with 2.0 kg B ha-1  as basal application in comparison to farmer practice with 189.79 q/ha fruit yield, 6.07 numbers of fruit and days to first fruit harvest (70.11). This treatment also recorded the highest B:C ratio (3.82) in comparison to farmer practice (2.93) indicating an economically better response to farmers of the intensively brinjal cultivated region of the state.