March 3, 2026Open Access

Influence of zinc application on biomass yield, nutrient uptake and economics of multicut fodder sorghum varieties

Key Points

CSV 33 MF achieved significantly higher biomass yield and protein content than SSG variety, highlighting the importance of variety selection.
Highest net returns and benefit-cost ratio were found in the SSG variety, indicating economic advantages despite lower biomass yield.
The combined application of soil and foliar zinc treatments led to significant improvements in nutrient uptake and biomass yield across all harvests.
Findings support the use of zinc application alongside recommended fertilization to maximize both yield and economic performance.

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the kharif season of 2023 at the Research Farm, Division of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu, to evaluate the impact of zinc (Zn) fertilization on biomass yield, nutrient uptake and economic returns of multicut fodder sorghum varieties. The experimental soil was sandy clay loam, slightly alkaline in nature, low in organic carbon, nitrogen (N) and Zn, but medium in available phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). The experiment was laid out in a Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) with 3 replications, comprising 2 sorghum varieties (SSG and CSV 33 MF) and 8 Zn treatments, viz., F1- Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF), F2- RDF + soil application of zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) at 20 kg ha-1, F3- RDF + foliar application of ZnSO4 at 0.5 % at 40 Days After Sowing (DAS), F4- RDF + foliar application of ZnSO4 at 0.5 % at 80 DAS, F5- RDF + foliar application of ZnSO4 at 0.5 % at 40 DAS and 80 DAS, F6- RDF + soil application of ZnSO4 at 20 kg ha-1 + foliar application of ZnSO4 at 0.5 % at 40 DAS, F7- RDF + soil application of ZnSO4 at 20 kg ha-1 + foliar application of ZnSO4 at 0.5 % at 80 DAS and F8- RDF + soil application of ZnSO4 at 20 kg ha-1 + Foliar application of ZnSO4 at 0.5 % at 40 DAS and 80 DAS. A uniform basal dose of nitrogen: phosphorus pentoxide: potassium oxide (N:P2O5:K2O) at 60:40:20 kg ha-1 was applied across treatments. Results revealed that CSV 33 MF recorded significantly higher total green biomass yield, nutrient uptake and crude protein content across all harvests. However, the highest net returns and benefit-cost ratio were observed in the SSG variety. Among Zn treatments, the combined application of RDF + ZnSO4 at 20 kg ha-1 to soil and foliar sprays of 0.5 % ZnSO4 at 40 and 80 DAS (F8) significantly improved biomass yield and nutrient uptake parameters. F8 (RDF + soil application of ZnSO4 at 20 kg ha-1 + foliar application of ZnSO4 at 0.5 % at 40 DAS and 80 DAS) also showed superior economic performance. Based on the findings, CSV 33 MF in combination with RDF + ZnSO4 soil application and foliar sprays appears to be the most effective strategy for enhancing biomass yield, fodder quality and nutrient use. However, SSG with the same treatment maximized economic returns.

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Cite This Study

Sudha et al. (Tue,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69a75a93c6e9836116a20935 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.9976

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