Foliar zinc and soil applied molybdenum optimize yield and dry matter partitioning of lentil

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.