Effect of multimicronutrient mixture on soil and leaf nutrient status of guava (Psidium guajava L.) cv. Lucknow 49

Introduction

Guava plant is hardy in nature, prolific bearer and highly remunerative even without much care. It has a high adaptability to wide ranges of soil and climatic conditions compared to other fruit crops. It can be grown in soil with the pH range from 4.5 to 8.2. Thus, it is possible for a marginal farmer to raise the crop even under adverse soil and water condition, but it is highly sensitive to water logging and frost. However, good management practices give a high profit return. Soil application of micronutrient is important for recover the trees from noticed deficiency for healthy growth of tree and could achieve a good yield with excellent fruit quality. Soil application of micronutrient is also improved physico-chemical properties of soil as well as nutrient content and also improved soil fertility. Foliar application is based on the principle that the nutrients are quickly absorbed by leaves and transported to different part of the plant to fulfill the functional requirement of nutrition. Foliar application of the nutrient is obviously an ideal way to avoiding the problem of nutrient availability. This method is highly helpful for the correction of trace element deficiencies to restore disrupted nutrient supply and to overcome stress factors limiting their availability. Foliar application is based on the principle that the nutrients are quickly absorbed by leaves and transported to different parts of the plant to fulfil the functional requirement of nutrition. In dry land, fruit crops depend on rainfall which is uncertain in most of the cases and the plants find it difficult to absorb nutrients from the soil, which leads to nutrient deficiencies in fruit crops. Soil and the foliar application of nutrients will be a viable option to mitigate nutrient deficiencies for optimising production under such conditions.

Materials and Methods

The research work was conducted on 5 year old guava trees of Lucknow-49 variety located at Horticulture Research Farm of Anand Agricultural University, Anand, Gujarat. viz., T 1 -Control, T 2 -Foliar spray of 2% multimicronutrient mixture grade-I, T 3 -Foliar spray of 2% multimicronutrient mixture grade-II, T 4 -Foliar spray of 2% multimicronutrient mixture grade-III, T 5 -Foliar spray of 2% multimicronutrient mixture grade-IV, T 6 -250 g/tree soil application of multimicronutrient mixture grade-V, T 7 -Foliar spray of 1% multimicronutrient mixture grade-I & 125 g/tree soil application of multimicronutrient mixture grade-V, T 8 -Foliar spray of 1% multimicronutrient mixture grade-II & 125 g/tree soil application of multimicronutrient mixture grade-V, T 9 -Foliar spray of 1% multimicronutrient mixture grade-III & 125 g/tree soil application of multimicronutrient mixture grade-V, T 10 -Foliar spray of 1% multimicronutrient mixture grade-IV & 125 g/tree soil application of multimicronutrient mixture grade-V. There are ten treatments and three replication the data of various soil and leaf nutrient content for both the years was appropriately computed, tabulated, pooled and analyzed by applying Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Soil Fe (ppm)

Extractable DTPA (Lindsay and Norvell, 1978) [5] 2.

Soil B (ppm) Hot water soluble-B, Azomethine-H method (Gupta, 1967) [2] 6.

Estimation of Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu from leaves Jackson, 1973 [3] 7.

Estimation of boron (B) from leaves Dry Ashing, Azomethine -H method (Gupta, 1967) [2]

Results and Discussion

The results obtained from the research experiment on 'Effect of multimicronutrient mixture on growth, yield and quality of guava (Psidium guajava L.) cv. Lucknow 49' are presented in Table 3, 4, 5 and 6.

The data revealed that there were no significant differences found with application of different grades of multimicronutrients mixtures treatments in respect to iron content in soil at initial. The significantly maximum iron content in soil after harvest of guava fruit (6.90 mg/kg) was observed with treatment T 10 (Foliar spray of 1% multimicronutrient mixture grade-IV & 125 g/tree soil application of multimicronutrient mixture grade-V) and it was statistically superior over all the treatments. It might be due to micronutrient improved plant vigor leads to better root growth and the secretion of organic acids. These exudates can help solubilize and recycle nutrients within the rhizosphere, maintaining higher available levels in the soil. The foliar fertilization can increase soil biological parameters like microbial biomass carbon, which supports better nutrient cycling so that increase in Fe content in soil. Similar results finding by Vikas et al. (2020) [7] in guava, Kacha et al. (2021) [4] in mango and Savdhariya et al. (2024) [6] in sapota.

The observed results show that there were no significant differences found with application of different grades of multimicronutrient mixtures treatments in respect to zinc content in soil at initial. The significantly highest zinc content in soil after harvest of guava fruit (0.99 mg/kg) was registered with treatment T 10 (Foliar spray of 1% multimicronutrient mixture grade-IV & 125 g/tree soil application of multimicronutrient mixture grade-V) and it was statistically superior over all the treatments. It might be due to micronutrients zinc are critical for the enzymes used by soil microorganisms. Increased microbial activity supports better nutrient cycling, ensuring that the zinc added to the soil remains in a stable but available state cause increase in Zn content in soil. Similar results finding by Vikas et al. (2020) [7] in guava, Kacha et al. (2021) [4] in mango and Savdhariya et al. (2024) [6] in sapota.

The result revealed that there was non-significant effect of application of different grades of multimicronutrient mixtures on iron content in guava leaf before spray during both the years of trial as well as in pooled analysis. The result indicated that significantly maximum iron content in guava leaf after spray (150.22 mg/kg, 150.37 mg/kg and 150.29 mg/kg) was recorded in T 10 (Foliar spray of 1% multimicronutrient mixture grade-IV & 125 g/tree soil application of multimicronutrient mixture grade-V) during the years 2023, 2024 and in pooled. These results partially agree with those obtained by Vikas et al. (2020) [7] in guava. They found that ferrous concentration increased more when fertilizer was applied as foliar application than soil application. Similar results found by Abd-Ella and EL-Sisy (2006) [1] in fig and reported that micronutrients concentration was increased in all spraying treatments.

The result indicated that the effect of different grades of micronutrients mixtures were found non-significant during both the individual years as well as in pooled analysis. The data revealed that significantly maximum manganese content in guava leaf after spray (59.72 mg/kg, 58.45 mg/kg and 59.09 mg/kg) was registered with treatment T 10 (Foliar spray of 1% multimicronutrient mixture grade-IV & 125 g/tree soil application of multimicronutrient mixture grade-V) in both the year of experiments (2023 and 2024) and in pooled analysis. This might be due to manganese was involved in photosynthesis, metabolism of nitrogen and its assimilation. It also activates decarboxylase, dehydrogenase and oxidase enzymes thus, with the increasing dose of nitrogen, manganese content also increased in the leaf. Results are also in accordance with the findings by Vikas et al. (2020) [7] in guava.

The data shows that the effect of different grades of micronutrients mixtures were found non-significant during both the individual years as well as in pooled analysis. The data shows that significantly maximum zinc content in guava leaf after spray (41.64 mg/kg, 41.69 mg/kg and 41.67 mg/kg) was recorded significantly maximum in T 10 (Foliar spray of 1% multimicronutrient mixture grade-IV & 125 g/tree soil application of multimicronutrient mixture grade-V) during the years 2023, 2024 and in pooled. It might be due to optimal levels of zinc increase uptake of phosphorus. Zinc is a component of dehydrogenases, proteinase and peptidase enzyme. It promotes growth hormones and starch formation and promotes seed maturation. Also, external application of micronutrients which had significantly reflected the increased nutritional status of zinc in guava leaf. Results are also in accordance with the findings by Vikas et al. (2020) [7] in guava. The present study is partially supported with the findings by Kacha et al. (2021) [4] in mango and Savdhariya et al. (2024) [6] in sapota.

The data suggested that the effect of different grades of micronutrients mixtures were found non-significant during both the individual years as well as in pooled analysis. Among all the treatments, T 10 (Foliar spray of 1% multimicronutrient mixture grade-IV & 125 g/tree soil application of multimicronutrient mixture grade-V) was most effective treatment and which was recorded significantly maximum copper content in guava leaf after spray (10.77 mg/kg, 10.81 mg/kg and 10.79 mg/kg) during the years 2023, 2024 and in pooled. It might be due to foliar spray of micronutrient grades containing copper which absorb by the leaf tissue which is essential for various physiological processes including photosynthesis, enzyme activation and cell wall formation. Results are also in accordance with the findings by Vikas et al. (2020) [7] in guava. The present study is partially supported with the findings by Kacha et al. (2021) [4] in mango and Savdhariya et al. (2024) [6] in sapota.

The findings indicate that there was non-significant effect of application of different grades of multimicronutrients mixtures on boron content in guava leaf before spray during both the years of trial as well as in pooled analysis. The evidence reveals that significantly maximum boron content in guava leaf after spray (55.01 mg/kg, 57.24 mg/kg and 56.13 mg/kg) was recorded significantly maximum in T 10 (Foliar spray of 1% multimicronutrient mixture grade-IV & 125 g/tree soil application of multimicronutrient mixture grade-V) during the years 2023, 2024 and in pooled. This might be due to presence of boron binding compounds in the cell which might have increased the mechanism of boron uptake, which is thought to be a nonmetabolic process determined in plant by the formation of nonexchangeable boron complexes within the cytoplasm and cell wall. Similar findings were also reported by Vikas et al. (2020) [7] in guava. The present study is partially supported with the findings by Kacha et al. (2021) [4] in mango and Savdhariya et al.

Conclusion

The result obtained from two year research experiment it can be concluded that soil application of 125 g/tree multimicronutrient mixture grade-V at on set of monsoon and foliar spray of 1% multimicronutrient mixture grade-IV at fruit setting stage and 30 day after fruit setting stage was recorded maximum multimicronutrient content viz., iron and zinc in soil as well as iron, manganese, zinc, copper and boron in leaf of guava cv. Lucknow 49.

References

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2. Gupta UC. A simplified method for determining hot watersoluble boron in podzol soils. Soil Science. 1967;103:424428.
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