Effect of time of foliar application of magnesium fertilization on forage yield of pearl millet

A pot culture experiment was conducted during the Kharif season at the Livestock Farm Complex of Veterinary College and Research Institute, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India to evaluate the effect of magnesium sulphate (MgSO₄) on growth, biomass, and yield of fodder pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.). Five treatments with triplicate included were T₁: Control, T₂: 100% recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF), T₃: RDF + Foliar spray of MgSO₄ at 20 days after sowing (DAS), T₄: RDF + Foliar spray of MgSO₄ at 35 DAS, and T₅: RDF + Foliar spray of MgSO₄ at 20 and 35 DAS. Foliar application of Mg as magnesium sulphate at 20 DAS significantly improved vegetative growth and yield parameters. Leaf length found increased by 51% (79.33 cm vs 52.60 cm in control), stem weight by 75% (57.02 g vs 32.66 g), leaf weight by 82% (52.30 g vs 28.80 g), total plant weight by 46% (103.68 g vs 71.01 g), and plant biomass by 46% (34.56 t/ha vs 23.67 t/ha). Leaf-stem ratio also improved from 0.88 to 0.92. Mg applications at later stages of plant growth or twice were found less effective on the growth and yield of fodder pearl millet. The study demonstrated that application of Mg as foliar spray with RDF enhanced vegetative growth and biomass accumulation in fodder pearl millet under pot culture conditions as well as the time of application.