Effect of Zinc and Boron on the Yield and Quality Traits of the Broccoli under the Kanpur Agro Climactic Region (Brassica oleracea Var. italica L.)
Saurabh Kumar
Rama University, Mandhana, Kanpur, India.
Vinay Joseph Silas *
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Allied Industries, Rama University, Mandhana, Kanpur, India.
Jitendra Kumar
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Allied Industries, Rama University, Mandhana, Kanpur, India.
Kartikay Bisen
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Allied Industries, Rama University, Mandhana, Kanpur, India.
Ashish Kumar
Rama University, Mandhana, Kanpur, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted during rabi 2024 at Horticulture Research Farm, The Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Allied Industries, Rama University, Kanpur (U.P.), conducted an experiment laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with eight treatments, each replicated three times, based on one year of experimentation. The treatments were as follows: T0: Control, T1: RDF + Zinc foliar application @ 0.5%, T2: RDF + Zinc soil application @ 25 kg/ha, T3: RDF + Zinc soil application @ 25 kg/ha + Zinc foliar application @ 0.5%, T4: RDF + Boron foliar application @ 0.5%, T5: RDF + Boron soil application @ 2 kg/ha, T6: RDF + Boron soil application @ 2 kg/ha + Boron foliar application @ 0.5%, T7: RDF + Combined foliar application of Boron @ 0.5% and Zinc @ 0.5%. The unit plot size was 4.5 m². The plant spacing was maintained at 60 cm between rows and 45 cm between plants, with a total of 10 plants in each plot. The treatments were randomly allocated to unit plots in each replication. The results revealed that the application of T7 (RDF + combined foliar application of Boron @ 0.5% and Zinc @ 0.5%) recorded the highest plant growth, yield, and quality of broccoli compared to other treatments. It also achieved the highest gross return, net return (Rs. ha⁻¹), and benefit-cost ratio.
Keywords: Zinc, boron growth, yield, quality, broccoli