Evaluating the role of zinc, iron and manganese on yield and quality of mungbean (Vigna radiata L.)

Mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) is grown worldwide for its seed production. Being leguminous crop it fixes nitrogen in the soil. Micronutrients are imperative module of soil fertility and they also manipulate crop productivity. Therefore, the application of micronutrients (Zn, Fe & Mn) has improved nodulation and yield of mungbean. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of soil application of micronutrients at the time of sowing on yield and quality of mungbean at the Agronomic Research Area, University of Agriculture Faisalabad during summer 2015. Experiment was comprised of treatments: no application of Zn, Fe and Mn (control), soil application of Zn @ 3, 1.5, 1 kg per ha, Fe @ 3, 1.5, 1 kg per ha and Mn @ 3, 1.5, 1 kg per ha. NIAB-Mung 2011 was used as test variety. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design having three replications with a plot size of 6.0 m x 1.5 m. Sowing was done with the help of hand drill in 30 cm a part rows maintaining plant to plant distance of 10 cm. Rest of crop husbandry practices were adopted on recommended basis. Soil samples were taken from the field before sowing and after harvesting of crop for its physicochemical analysis. Data on yield and quality attributes was recorded by using standard procedures and analyzed statistically using Fisher's analysis of variance technique and differences among treatments' means were compared by using least significant difference test (LSD) at 5% probability level. Results showed that significantly the maximum plant height (75.52 cm), number of pods bearing branches per plant (9.13), number of pods per plant (21.83), number of nodules per plant (14.21), number of seeds per pod (8.00), 1000 seed weight (55.72 g), seed yield (1243.2 kg per ha), biological yield (5838.8 kg per ha) and harvest index (21.29 %) were obtained in treatment (T8) where soil application of zinc, iron and manganese @ 1+1+1 kg per ha was applied. Significantly the maximum protein contents (23.63 %), Net income (Rs. 47623 per ha) with benefit cost ratio of (1.71) was obtained at (T8) where zinc, iron and manganese @ 1+1+1 kg per ha were applied in the soil. The conclusion is that better mungbean yield can be harvested with more net return by applying zinc, iron and manganese In the soil @ 1+1+1 kg per ha (T8).