2024, Vol. 7, Issue 4, Part B

author(s)
Preeti, Narayan Singh, Vasudha Maurya, Sonika Sharma, Rahul Kumar, and Ashutosh Sharma

abstract
Nano-fertilizers have the potential to enhance crop productivity by enhancing nutrient use efficiency. The present investigation was conducted during the rabi season of 2022-2023 in the experimental farm of DAV University, Jalandhar, to determine the effect of seed priming by Nano-Urea and Nano-Zinc on growth, yield and quality attributes of rat-tail radish. The experiment was laid in a randomized block design (RBD) with three replications comprising twelve treatments viz., T₁ (Control), T₂ (NPK i.e., 100% recommended dose), T₃ (Nano-Urea i.e., 100%), T₄ (Nano-Urea i.e., 50%), T₅ (Nano-Zinc i.e., 100%), T₆ (Nano-Urea i.e., 100% + Nano-Zinc i.e., 100%), T₇ (Nano-Urea i.e., 50% + Nano-Zinc i.e., 100%), T₈ (NPK i.e., 100% recommended dose + Nano-Zinc i.e., 100%), T₉ (NPK i.e., 100% recommended dose + Nano-Urea i.e., 100%), T₁₀ (NPK i.e., 100% recommended dose +Nano-Urea i.e., 50%), T₁₁ (NPK i.e., 100% recommended dose +Nano-Urea i.e., 100% + Nano-Zinc i.e., 100%) and T₁₂ (NPK i.e., 100% recommended dose + Nano-Urea i.e., 50% + Nano-Zinc i.e., 100%). The results showed that the seed-priming application of Nano-Urea (50%) along with NPK minimised the days to 50% germination. It was also observed that NPK along with Nano-Urea (100%) and Nano-Zinc (100%) minimised the days to 50% flowering, and increased the number of leaves per plant, leaf length and leaf area. Further, the combination of both Nano-Urea (50%) and Nano-Zinc (100%) along with NPK recorded the highest plant height, number of branches per plant and leaf width. Among, the pod yield of rat-tail radish, the highest pod length and pod diameter were recorded with the combination of NPK along with Nano-Urea (100%). Whereas, the maximum number of pods per plant was recorded under the combination application of both Nano-Urea (100%) and Nano-Zinc (100%) along with NPK. It was also observed that NPK along with Nano-Urea (100%) and Nano-Zinc (100%) recorded the highest pod yield per plant, pod yield per plot and pod yield per hectare. Among the quality attributes, the soluble protein content, carotenoid content, total phenolic content and chlorophyll content. The TSS was recorded maximum when NPK was applied with 100% Nano-Zinc. Ascorbic acid and total flavonoid content were recorded maximum when NPK was applied in combination with the seed-priming of 100% Nano-Urea and 100%Nano-Zinc. The analysis of yield suggested that the maximum gross income, net income and benefit-cost ratio from the treatment T₁₁ (NPK i.e., 100% recommended dose + Nano-Urea i.e., 100% + Nano-Zinc i.e., 100%).