Biology and Medicine

Evaluation of Different Levels of Nutrient and Growth Regulators on Seed Protein, Seed Test Weight and Available Post-Harvest Soil Nutrient Status in Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum) (L)

G Guru^1*, Gurrala Suresh², M Marimuthu³, S Natarajan⁴ and V Ravichandran^{5 1}Department of Nutrient Management & Water Management, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Tamil Nadu, India
²Department of Agronomy, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
³Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Tamil Nadu, India
⁴Department of Crop Physiology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
⁵Department of Agronomy, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
^*Correspondence: G Guru, Department of Nutrient Management & Water Management, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Tamil Nadu, India, Email:

Received: 12-Dec-2023, Manuscript No. BLM-23-24347; Editor assigned: 14-Dec-2023, Pre QC No. BLM-23-24347(PQ); Reviewed: 28-Dec-2023, QC No. BLM-23-24347; Revised: 05-Jan-2024, Manuscript No. BLM-23-24347(R); Published: 12-Jan-2024, DOI: 10.35248/0974-8369.23.15.630

Introduction

Pearl millet is a very important and potential cereal of dry and rainfed regions. In Indian condition we are the leading Pearl millet growing country, attributing forty two percent of global production. Indian context, it is principally grown as a rainfed crop in varied climatic condition. Cumbu is grown in 7.13 m.ha with 8.07 m.tons total production and crop productivity of 1132 kg/ha. (Season and Crop Report) [1]. In Indian continent Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, UP and Haryana are predominant growing states.

Generally arid regions receive 10 percent of the total nutrients used in India, which consist about 1.4 million tons. Pearl millet yield is considered as low in our country generally owing to higher mortality and make use of lesser fertilizers. It uptakes 72.5 kg N, P₂O₅ and K₂O per hectare per annum, meanwhile just 10 to 20 kg of these through source of fertilizers. It is an efficient and important source of seed protein comprises high digestibility (12.61%) by faintly superior aminoacid, fat (5.1%), mainly iron (2.80%), carbohydrates (69.41%), mineral (2.31%), riboflavine (Vitamin B2) and niacin (Vitamin B4) [2]. Thus, there is a necessitate to advance fertility supervision with the optimal number of plant population for current hybrids to sustain in crop yield and per unit area productive capacity.

The PGRs contain possible for improving crop productivities in environmental stress. Growth regulators are chemical substances which will be modified the expansion of growth parameters and crop growing processes most important to increased yield, enhanced grain quality or make easy to harvest [3]. Application of PGRs have been descript to provoke physiologically efficient, including photosynthetic ability of crops and it was resulted in better growth and yield of a number of crops not including significant enhancement of cost of cultivation [4,5] ascribed that the growth regulators contain promising to increase crop production in environmental stress. In view of the aforesaid facts, present study examined different levels of nutrient and plant growth regulators on quality as well as status of soil fertility after crop harvest.

Materials and Methods

An experiment was conducted from 2019-2021 at Millets Farm, TNAU, Coimbatore in Rabi season for learning the significance of N level and crop growth regulators to asses grain proteins and soil nutrient position after harvest of Pearl millet crop. The farm location is positioned in 110 N latitude and 770 E longitudes and at altitude of 426.9 MSL. The field trials were laid out in RBD (Randomized Block Design) with 3 replications and 10 treatments viz. T₁-125% RDF*, T₂-100% RDF*, T₃-75% RDF*, T₄-125% RDF*+Foliar application of chlormequat chloride (250 ppm) at 20 and 40 DAS, T₅-100% RDF*+Foliar application of chlormequat chloride (250 ppm) at 20 and 40 DAS, T₆- 75% RDF*+Foliar application of chlormequat chloride (250 ppm) at 20 and 40 DAS, T₇-125% RDF*+Foliar application of NAA (40 ppm) at 20 and 40 DAS, T₈-100% RDF*+Foliar application of NAA (40 ppm) at 20 and 40 DAS, T₉-75% RDF*+Foliar application of NAA (40 ppm) at 20 and 40 DAS and T₁₀–Control.

Crop had been grown with 45 × 15 cm spacing. Cumbu hybrid CO 9 selected to this trial and 5 kg per hectare seed rate was utilized. The main field soil was slight alkalinity (8.08), narrow EC (0.861 dsm^-1), sand clay loamy, less OC (0.591%), low, medium and high in available N, P₂O₅ and K₂O (260.1: 20.5: 694.3 kg ha^-1) respectively. Soil samples were collected and Nitrogen (N) estimated by method developed the scientists Subbiah and Asija [6]. By using spectrophotometer, soil available phosphorus was estimated and Potassium content in soil was analysed with neutral normal ammonium acetate extraction method by Flame Photometer (Stanford and English) which is indicated in kg ha^-1 [7,8].

Results

An assessment of data shown that influence of effect of PGRs and Nitrogen nutrient did have been significant effect on protein content, test weight and available nutrient status after harvest of Pearl millet.

The higher rate of N uptake by plant is more significantly on development parameters, yield and yield factors where produced higher grain and Stover yields. More accessible available Nitrogen, phosphorus and Pottasium (214 ha^-1 N, 20.10 kg ha^-1 P₂O₅ and 557.01 kg ha^-1 K₂O) were received under 125% RDF+foliar application of chloromequat chloride (250 ppm) at 20 and 40 DAS which was on par with treatment T7 at 195 ha^-1 N, 18.9 kg ha^-1 P₂O₅ and 522.1 kg K₂O (Table 1) . Improved Dry Matter Production (DMP) with higher nutrients applied were found owing towards impact of NPK in influencing the use of sunshine by the augmented dry production biomass and any insufficiency of nitrogen reduces the sunshine use efficiency or facilitate to photosynthetic activities [9,10].

Table1: Evaluation of different nutrients and growth Regulators on available soil nutrients, percentage of protein and 1000g grain weight.

In view of protein content and grain test weight, 125% RDF+chloromequat chloride (250 ppm) at 20 and 40 DAS (T4) resulted maximum grain protein content and test weight during the crop growing period. It might be due to combined application of nitrogenous and phosphates fertilizers with potassium rendered high value of grain and stover yield in Cumbu [11]. This may be for the reason that the fertilizers of nitrogen and phosphorus improved the N and P₂O₅ contents into seed besides creating a favourable situation in crop and more photosynthetically competence; it ideal for simultaneously more crop growth and yield. The development in growth characteristics through these PGRs appears has to be due to this role in changing a variety of physiological and metabolite processes in plant system [12]. The foliar applied chlormequat chloride and NAA promoted a positive influence on the development of the plant, when dry and environmental wet period temperature was happened in the growing time of pearl millet.

Maximum grain protein content (12.65%) and test weight (12.70 g) were recorded in application of 125% RDF+chloromequat chloride (250 ppm) at 20 and 40 DAS (T4) and it was at par with treatment T7 (Figures 1 and 2). It might be due to the discharge of nutrients in essential quantity on critical plant growth period at higher dose and moreover increased rate of photosynthesis activities and fasten the transport by the function of PGRs [13]. Whereas, Menon et al., [14] stated that improvement in dry biomass by PGRs owing to reduction during photorespiration, moreover, it is well structured reason that the dry matter accumulation was the difference between photosynthesis and respiration progression in the plant system [11]. Kumar et al., [15] detailed that foliar applied chlormequat chloride and NAA was show considerably influenced lying on growth characters like plant height, total number of tillers, DMP and chlorophyll content were recorded [13]. Additionally, a number of scientists, Sivakumar et al., [16] and Yadav et al., [17] in pearl millet, Perveen et al., in wheat [18], Chandrashekhara et al., [19] and Shewry et al., [20] in maize also can be stated considerable improvement in growth parameters in variety of crops suitable to appliance of PGRs. Knowles et al., [21] attributed positive persuade of PGRs on carbon cycle in crops through good quality of increasing in chlorophyll content leading to higher CO₂ fixation as well as in rate of photosynthesis.

Figure 1: Evaluation of different Nutrients and PGRs on post-harvest soil nutrient status. Note: (): N, () : K, () : P.

Figure 2: Evaluation of different Nutrients and Growth Regulators on protein content (%) of Pearl Millet Note: *80.0: 40.0: 40.0 kg of N, P₂O₅, and K₂O ha^-1.Note: (): Protein, () : Test weight.

Discussion

The Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) stimulate the natural growth regulatory systems rapid growth of the plant from germination of seed till the senescence. It improves the source and sinks relationship and promotes to stimulate the translocation of photosynthesis in formation of growth and development of seed resulting in superior crop productivity and improved grain quality Espindula et al., In distinguish to this; the lowest percentage of protein content, seed test weight and uptake of nutrients were recorded in reduced rate of recommended dose of nutrients applied treatment as well as in control. The treatment 125% Recommended dose of fertilizer with chlormequat chloride at 250 ppm on 20 and 40 Days after sowing recorded maximum grain protein content, test weight and nutrients uptake during the crop growing period. Thus, 125% Recommended dose of fertilizer with foliar application of chlormequat chloride (250 ppm) on 20^th and 40^th Days after sowing should be practiced for increasing grain quality, test weight and maximizing the yield.

Conclusion

125% RDF with foliar application of chlormequat chloride (250 ppm) on 20^th and 40^th days after sowing should be practiced for increasing grain quality, test weight and maximizing the yield.

Application of PGRs have been descript to provoke physiologically efficient, including photosynthetic ability of crops and it was resulted in better growth and yield of a number of crops not including significant enhancement of cost of cultivation and this study ascribed that the growth regulators contain promising to increase crop production in environmental stress. The treatment 125% Recommended dose of fertilizer with chlormequat chloride (250 ppm) on 20 and 40 Days after sowing recorded maximum grain protein content, test weight and nutrients uptake during the crop growing period.

Acknowledgement

The authors are thankful to Director, Crop Management and Vice Chancellor, TNAU, Coimbatore, for providing all the facilities and financial support for this study and the support for conducting field study and analysis.

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