2025, Vol. 8, Issue 6, Part J

author(s)
Prakhar Maurya, Umesha C and Dowson Joy

abstract
An experiment was conducted during rabi seasons of 2022-23 and 2023-24 at Crop Research Farm of SHUATS, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh with the objective to evaluate the effect of sulphur and micronutrients foliar application on yield and yield attributes of mustard under semi-arid conditions of Prayagraj. The Crop Research Farm is situated at 25.57°N latitude, 87.19°E longitude at an altitude of 98 m above mean sea level. The soil is sandy loam in texture, low in organic carbon, potassium and medium in available nitrogen, phosphorus. The experiment consists of 16 treatments with three replications in Randomized Block Design. Foliar application of micronutrients and sulphur in various concentrations was given at 45 and 65 DAS with the objective to evaluate impact of these nutrients on yield and yield attributes of hybrid mustard (Pioneer hybrid 45S46). Yield and yield attributes taken were Seed yield (t/ha), No. of siliqua/plant, No. of seeds/siliqua, Test weight (g), Stover yield (t/ha) and Harvest index (%). The effects of foliar spray of micronutrients and sulphur were found significant on yield attributes. The highest number of siliqua/plant (190.10, 191.50 and 190.80, respectively) were recorded in treatment T₁₁ (RDF + Sulphur @ 1.0%) which was 56.46, 92.85 and 72.83% higher than lowest in control during both the years and pooled analysis. Similarly significantly more number of seeds/siliquae (15.30, 15.70 and 15.50, respectively) were noted in treatment T₁₁ (RDF + Sulphur @ 1.0%), which was 44.34, 46.73 and 45.54% higher than lowest in control during both the years and pooled analysis. Test weight varied significantly where the highest test weight (5.80, 5.88 and 5.84 g, respectively) was recorded in treatment T₁₁ (RDF + Sulphur @ 1.0%) which was 41.46, 40.48 and 40.96% higher than lowest in control during both the years and pooled analysis. Significant differences in seed yield were observed where spray of sulphur and micronutrients resulted more seed yield and stover yield than RDF. The highest seed yield (1.80, 1.85 and 1.83 t ha^-1, respectively) was recorded in treatment T₁₁ (RDF + Sulphur @ 1.0%) which was significantly higher than RDF by 33.3, 32.1 and 32.2%, respectively during both the years and pooled data. Stover yield was the highest (6.87, 6.90 and 6.89 t ha^-1 respectively) in treatment T₁₁ (RDF + Sulphur @ 1.0%) which was 13.2, 11.3 and 12.2% higher than RDF during both the years and pooled data, respectively. Highest harvest index (24.6, 25.0 and 24.8% respectively) was noted in treatment T₁₁ (RDF + Sulphur @ 1.0%) during both the years and pooled analysis. Thus, it could be concluded that 1.0% sulphur with RDF as foliar application at growth stage proved better amongst all treatments as all the yield and attributes were significantly higher resulting into higher profitability to the farmers.