Abstract:
A field experiment on the
effect of zinc and molybdenum application
on the yield of lentil was carried out at The
University of Agriculture Peshawar during
the Rabi season of 2021. The experiment
was carried out in a randomised complete
block design with three replications. Four
levels of molybdenum (0, 1, 2 and 3 kg ha−1)
and 0.5% zinc foliar spray at different
intervals of lentil crop (control, 50 days after
sowing, 100 days after sowing, 50 days after
sowing + 100 days after sowing) were tested
in the experiment. The results revealed that 3
kg ha−1 of molybdenum enhanced plant
height (55 cm), nodules plant−1 (25),
branches plant−1 (7), days to flowering (107)
and maturity (159), dry matter of leaves at
the flowering stage (64 g m−2), dry matter of
leaves at the maturity stage (113 g m−2), dry
matter of branches at the physiological
maturity stage (304 g m−2), dry matter of
pods at the maturity stage (439 g m−2), pods
plant−1 (92), seeds pod−1 (2.0), 1000-seed
weight (31 g), biological yield (3207 kg
ha−1), and seed yield (1002 kg ha−1). Zinc
foliar spray (0.5%) at 50 days after sowing +
100 days after sowing of lentil crop
improved the dry matter of leaves at the
flowering stage (62 g m−2), days to first
flowering (109), days to physiological
maturity (157), dry matter of leaves at the
physiological maturity stage (111 g m−2), dry
matter of pods at the physiological maturity
stage (435 g m−2), pods plant−1 (91), 1000
seed weight (32 g), biological yield (3236 kg
ha−1) and seed yield (1026 kg ha−1). Lastly,
scatterplots revealed a significant correlation
of grain and biological yield with their
components. It is concluded that
molybdenum application at a rate of 3 kg
ha−1 and 0.5% zinc foliar spray at 50 days
after sowing + 100 days after sowing of the
lentil crop increased seed yield and is thus
recommended for the Peshawar region.
