Evaluation of Foliar Nutrition for Yield Maximization in Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica)

A study was carried out in foxtail millet regarding the effect of various foliar treatments in combination with recommended dose of fertilizer on the growth and yield of the crop at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore during the summer of 2021. Eight treatments in combinations with 100% of the Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF) were arranged in a randomized block design with three replications. Foliar treatments applied were viz., 3% panchagavya along with recommended dose of fertilizer (T1), 3% vermiwash along with recommended dose of fertilizer (T2), 3% TNAU maize maxim along with recommended dose of fertilizer (T3), 1% urea along with recommended dose of fertilizer (T4), 1% KCl along with recommended dose of fertilizer (T5), 0.5% zinc sulphate along with recommended dose of fertilizer (T6), 0.5% iron sulphate along with recommended dose of fertilizer (T7) and recommended dose of fertilizers alone (T8). Each treatment was applied at the active vegetative growth stage and panicle initiation stage of the crop. The application of full dose of fertilizer along with a foliar spray of 3% maize maxim resulted in higher plant height (132.38 cm), number of tillers (2.37), leaf area index (1.37), dry matter production (5937.74 kg/ha), productive tillers per plant (1.95), panicle length (23.59 cm), panicle weight (15.29 g), grain yield (2130.20 kg/ha) and straw yield (4108.14 kg/ha). The plots treated with recommended fertilizer alone had the lowest level of all parameters. Treatments with foliar spray of 3% panchagavya and 3% vermiwash were statistically on par with maize maxim application. The result of the experiment implies that foliar treatment of 3% TNAU maize maxim had a significant effect on growth and yield attributes of foxtail millet.