EFFECT OF MICRONUTRlENTS WIm DIFFERENT LEVELS OF NPKS FERTILIZER ON SEED YIELD AND QUALITY OF ONION

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Research field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka during the period from November, 2013 to April, 2014 with a view to determine the effect of micronutrients (Zn, B and Mn) with different levels of NPKS fertilizers on yield and 'quality of onion (Allium cepa L.) seed. The experiment was conducted with four levels of micronutrients viz. M,= ZnoBoMno kglha, M2= ZI4BIMn2 kglha, M3= Zfi6B2Mn3 kg/ha and ~= ZnsB3MItt kglha and three doses of NPKS fertilizers viz. FI= N57P2IK)9S9kglha, F2= NlI4P42K7sS,skglha and F3 =NI7JP63KII7~7 kglha. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with 12 treatment combinations and replicated thrice. Application of micronutrients and different doses ofNPKS fertilizers increased plant height and number of leaves per plant at different growth stages, days required to first bolting, number of umbels/plot, days required to first anthesis, number of seeds per umbel, weight of seeds per umbel, seed yield per plant, per plot and per hectare, weight of 1000 seeds, percentage of seed germination and seed vigour index. The highest seed yield (819.9 kglha), percent germination of seeds (88.89010) and seed vigour index (2084.77) were recorded from M) treatment and the lowest seed yield (787.4 kglha), percent germination of seed (84.44%) and seed vigour index (1724.26) were observed in M, treatment The positive effects of micronutrients were found in order ofM3> ~> M2> M,. The F2 treatment produced the highest seed yield (957.6 kglha), percent germination ofseed (90.67%) and seed vigour index (2258.20) and FI treatment produced lowest (116.6 kg/ha, 85.25% and 1121.05 respectively). The positive effects were found in order of F2> F» Fl. Among the treatment combinations, M)F2 produced the highest seed yield (1027.0 kg/ha), germination of seed (94.00%) and seed vigour index (2537.33) and M.F, produced the lowest yield (734.4 kg/ha), germination of seed (82.67%) and seed vigour index (1488.66).