Effect of time, rate and method of zinc application on herb and essential oil yield of mentha (Mentha arvensis L.)
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Date
2020
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Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
Abstract
The present investigation entitled, “Effect of time, rate and method of zinc application on herb and essential oil yield of mentha (Mentha arvensis L.)” was carried out during spring season of 2018 and 2019 on nearby fields located at the Students‟ Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. The soil of experimental fields was loamy sand in texture, normal pH, low in available nitrogen and OC; medium in available phosphorus and potassium. Available zinc in soil was 0.94 and 0.88 mg kg-1 soil in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with twelve treatments and four replications. The treatments were comprised of control (recommended dose of fertilizer i.e RDF of 75 kg N and 40 kg P2O5 ha-1), soil application of zinc sulphate heptahydrate @ 15 kg ha-1 (ZSH15kg), @ 25 kg ha-1 (ZSH25kg), foliar spray(s) at 40 days after planting (DAP) through zinc sulphate heptahydrate 0.5% (ZSHF40d), at 60 DAP (ZSHF60d), at 40 and 60 DAP (ZSHF40&60d), combined application of soil and foliar as ZSH15kg + ZSHF40d (ZSH15kgF40d), ZSH15kg + ZSHF60d (ZSH15kgF60d), ZSH15kg + ZSHF40&60d (ZSH15kgF40&60d), ZSH25kg + ZSHF40d (ZSH25kgF40d), ZSH25kg + ZSHF60d (ZSH25kgF60d) and ZSH25kg + ZSHF40&60d (ZSH25kgF40&60d). Two year field data indicated that ZSH25kgF40&60d was significantly higher in plant height, leaf area index, dry matter accumulation, fresh herbage yield, essential oil content, essential oil yield and net returns over control (RDF) and on par with ZSH15kgF40&60d. Overall, ZSH15kgF40&60d recorded an increase 22.1 q ha-1, 20.1 L ha-1 and `20125 with an increment of 13.5, 18.1 and 25.9 per cent in terms of fresh herbage yield, essential oil yield and net returns over control, respectively. Combined application of zinc increased the zinc content in plant significantly over control.