Impact of Foliar Spray of Zinc in Nano Form on Lentil Grown Under Residual Fertility of Preceding Rice

Field trials were carried out during the rabi season of 2018-19 and 2019-20 to observe the combined impact of recommended fertilizer dose with or without nano zinc on lentils under residual soil status of preceding rice. The experiment was designed in split-plot with three replications holding sixteen treatment combinations viz. residual effect of eight treatments applied in rice as main plot factors and recommended dose of nutrients with and without nano zinc spray in lentil in two treatments as subplots factors. Experimental results revealed that better growth, yield associating traits and yield of lentil was found in the residual effect of integrated nutrient management treated plots with foliar application of nano zinc. Among the main plot factors residual effect of 50% RD_N via synthetic fertilizer + 50% via FYM applied in preceding rice achieved the maximum plant growth, seed yield, nutrients uptake and better microbial population. Between the sub plot factors recommended dose of nutrients with nano zinc application through foliar spray significantly improved both the number of branches per plant and number of filled pods per plant by 19.57% and 5.49% respectively thereby remarkably increase the seed yield of lentil by 10.17% than without nano zinc sprayed treatments. Total nitrogen, potassium and zinc uptake of lentil were enhanced by 7.83%, 8.26% and 11.34% respectively in nano zinc sprayed plots. Foliar spray of nano zinc in lentil ameliorated dehydrogenase enzyme activity by 1.75% and 1.42% at 30 DAS and 60 DAS respectively.