Effect of foliar nutrition supplement on productivity and profitability of medium duration pigeonpea

A field experiment was conducted under AICRP on Pigeonpea during three consecutive years of kharif 201617, 2017-18 and 2018-19 at the Centre for Pulses Research, OUAT, Berhampur, Odisha under rainfed conditions to study the effect of foliar nutrient supplement on productivity and profitability of medium duration pigeonpea. Pigeonpea variety TTB-7 was sown in Randomized Block Design with three replications. Recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) @ 20:40:20 N, P₂O₅, K2Okg ha⁻¹ was applied to each treatment as basal at the time of sowing. Altogether 12 treatments viz.,T1: absolute control, T2: water spray at 50% flowering (control), T3: 2% urea spray at 50% flowering, T4: 0.5% borax (10%) spray at 50% flowering, T5: 0.5% ZnSO₄ spray at 50% flowering, T6: 1% urea +0.25%, ZnSO₄ + 0.25 borax (10%) spray at 50% flowering, T7: multi micronutrient spray@ 2ml L⁻¹ at flower bud initiation, T8: 2% DAP spray at flower bud initiation, T9: 2% MOP spray at flower bud initiation, T10: NPK (19:19:19) @ 1% spray at 50% flowering, T11: NPK (19:19:19) @ 1% + Solubor (B20%) @ 0.2% spray at flower bud initiation, and T12: NPK (19:19:19) @ 1% + multi micronutrient spray @ 2 ml L⁻¹ at flower bud initiation were tested. Maximum grain yield (1683 kg ha⁻¹) was recorded with application of NPK (19:19:19) @ 1% + Solubor (B20%) @ 0.2% spray at flower bud initiation (T11) followed by T12 [NPK (19:19:19) @ 1% + multi micronutrient spray@ 2 ml L⁻¹ at flower bud initiation] and T4 [0.5% borax (10%) spray at 50% flowering]. This treatment had also recorded high harvest index (33%), maximum net return (Rs. 58097 ha⁻¹) with high B:C ratio (2.78). It was concluded that foliar supplementation of NPK (19:19:19) @ 1% + Solubor (B20%) @ 0.2% at flower bud initiation stage in medium duration pigeonpea could be recommended under rainfed kharif upland situation in Odisha for obtaining maximum grain yield and net return.