STUDIES ON AGRONOMIC BIO-FORTIFICATION WITH MICRONUTRIENTS IN ONION (Allium cepa L.) SEED CROP
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Date
2017-09
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UHF,NAUNI
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The present investigations entitled ‘Studies on Agronomic Bio-fortification with Micronutrients in
Onion (Allium cepa L.) Seed Crop’ were carried out in two experiments at experimental farm and laboratory of
Department of Seed Science and Technology, Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry,
Nauni, Solan, HP during 2015-17. The seed crop of onion cv. Palam Lohit was sprayed with zinc, boron,
molybdenum and their combinations. Foliar application of micronutrients was given as zinc sulphate, boric
acid and sodium molybdate at a concentration of 5%, 1% and 0.05% respectively at 3 stages i.e. vegetative
stage, prior to flowering and at seed set stage. The first experiment was conducted in the field, sprays of
zinc @ 5% and boron @ 1% showed maximum values with respect to number of leaves per plant (12.67),
leaf length (49.53 cm), plant height at final harvest (54.60 cm), number of umbel per plant (7.60), number of
flower per umbel(465), number of seeds per umbel (386.67), seed yield (222.67 g per plot and 618.52 kg per
ha), 1000 seed weight (3.97 g) and minimum for ovule to seed ratio (7.21) and days to bolting (113.43).
Among the seed quality parameters, maximum germination (89.50%), seedling dry weight (10.50 mg), seed
vigour index-I (1111.62), seed vigour index-II (939.60) were achieved with application of zinc and boron.
In second experiment agronomically bio-fortified seeds were stored at ambient conditions for 9 months in
the plastic boxes to study the seed quality during storage. The seed quality was tested at three months
interval viz., immediately after harvest (i.e. zero month), third month, sixth month and ninth month of
storage. Highest germination (83.50%), seedling length (10.72 cm), seedling dry weight (8.89 mg), seed
vigour index-I (894.09) and seed vigour index-II (754.63) were observed in onion seeds bio-fortified
agronomically with zinc @ 5% and boron @ 1%. Among the storage periods, freshly harvested seeds
showed maximum values with respect to germination (83.50 %), seedling length (10.74cm), seedling dry
weight (9.13 mg), seed vigour index-I (900.17), seed vigour index- II (763.72) and speed of germination
(41.63). The germination (89.50%), seedling length (12.43cm), seedling dry weight (10.50 mg) seed vigour
index-I (1111.62) and seed vigour index-II (939.60) were highest in the freshy harvested seed in which plant
were sprayed with zinc @ 5% and boron @ 1%. In control, seed showed minimum germination percentage
(70%), seedling length (6.12 cm) seedling dry weight (6.30 mg) and seed vigour index-I (504) and seed
vigour index-II (441) after 9 months of storage. The micronutrient content of seed also increased with
agronomic bio-fortification with zinc, boron and molybdenum. The highest zinc content (78 mg per kg)
found in agronomically bio-fortified seeds with zinc @ 5%, highest boron content (2.02 mg per kg) found
with boron @ 1% and highest molybdenum content (0.30 mg per kg) with molybdenum @ 0.05%. From the
present studies, it can be concluded that onion seed crop sprayed with zinc @ 5% and boron @ 1% at
vegetative stage, prior to flowering and at seed set stage resulted in better plant growth, yield contributing
characters and seed yield and bio-fortified seeds improves seed quality characters like germination, dry
weight and vigour in storage period.
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