Foliar Application of Combined Zinc Sulphate, Ferrous Sulphate and Urea has Synergistic Effect on Grain Yield Enhancement and Biofortification in Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.)

The present study investigated the effect of foliar application of zinc (Zn) + iron (Fe), Zn + Fe + urea, and sole urea at flowering, pod formation and flowering + pod formation stages on grain yield and agronomic biofortification of lentil. Further, urea was sprayed sole as well as combined application to study its role in agronomic biofortification. Field experiments were conducted at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana and PAU Regional Research Station (RRS), Faridkot, India during the winter season of 2018–19 and 2019–20 in randomized complete block design. The experiment comprised ten treatments [control (unsprayed), foliar application of sole urea (2%), Zn (0.5% ZnSO₄) + Fe (0.5% FeSO₄) and Zn + Fe + urea at flowering, pod formation, and flowering + pod formation stages] with three replications. The treatment of combined foliar application of micronutrients (Zn + Fe + urea at flowering + pod formation stages) recorded the highest grain yield (29.4% higher over unsprayed control), concentration of Zn and Fe in plants and in stover and grain (61.97 mg Zn kg^-1 and 95.84 mg Fe kg^-1 in whole grain and 37.75 mg Zn kg^-1 and 51.15 mg Fe kg^-1 in split grain) and protein content in grain at maturity stage. The combined foliar application of Zn + Fe + urea can be done to improve productivity and enrichment of lentil and, therefore, it can help in upliftment of economic status of farmers and help in amelioration of micronutrients malnutrition.