Effect of soil NPK levels in conjunction with foliar NPK sprays on productivity and profitability of linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) in Vertisols

Introduction

Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) is an important oilseed crop belonging to the family Linaceae and is valued for its oil, fibre and nutritional properties. In India, it ranks as the second most important rabi oilseed crop after rapeseed and mustard in terms of area and seed output (Alam et al., 2024) [1] . India ranks fifth in area and sixth in production, covering about 3.2 lakh hectares with production of 1.74 lakh tonnes and productivity of 637.54 kg/ha (GOI, 2023) [2] . In Rajasthan, linseed is cultivated on 12.8 thousand hectares with production of 13.5 thousand tonnes and productivity of 1050 kg/ha (GoR, 2023) [3] . Linseed contains about 38-40% fat, 26-28% fibre and 20-21% protein and provides nutritional and health benefits (Joana et al., 2019) [4] . Despite its importance, linseed productivity in India remains low compared with many other countries (Dash et al., 2017) [5] . Inadequate and imbalanced fertilization, limited irrigation and poor crop management are major constraints to productivity. Overcoming these yield gaps necessitates improved agronomic management, primarily through timely planting, balanced fertilization, stage-critical irrigation and supplementary foliar nutrition. Balanced use of fertilizer is widely recognized as a key factor in boosting crop production. Among various agronomic practices, the balanced and efficient use of nutrients especially N, P and K is essential for enhancing linseed yield and quality (Singh et al., 2013) [6] . Hence, suitable soil NPK levels need to be evaluated for efficient nutrient use and sustainable production. Continual reliance on the conventional recommended dose of fertilizers has markedly inflated production costs while steadily exhausting soil health and destabilizing local ecosystems. Transitioning toward sustainable soil stewardship has shifted focus toward rationalizing basal nutrient doses through complementary foliar applications. This integrated regime boosts plant uptake, limits leaching losses and maintains crop productivity. Foliar nutrition can supplement soil-applied fertilizers by supplying nutrients rapidly during critical growth stages (Reena et al., 2018) [7] and improving their absorption and translocation to developing seeds (Manonmani et al., 2009) [8] . NPK 19:19:19 containing 19% each of N, P and K can improve nutrient uptake and crop performance (Pasala et al., 2022) [9] . Improvement in linseed growth and yield through foliar nutrition has been reported by Gurjar et al. (2017) [10] , Shelke et al. (2024) [11] and Kumari et al. (2025) [12] .

Materials and Methods

Result and Discussion

Growth parameters

A critical analysis of the data ( The significant improvement in growth parameters with higher soil NPK levels might be primarily due to adequate nutrient availability, which stimulated chlorophyll synthesis and meristematic activity. This enhanced photosynthetic rate promotes rapid cell division, internodal elongation and lateral bud emergence. Consequently, the expanded vegetative canopy facilitated greater photosynthate assimilation and translocation into biomass. These results are in conformity with the findings of Singh et al. (2013) [6] , Kumar and Kumar (2015) [14] , Devedee et al. (2019) [15] , Gaikwad et al. (2020) [16] . The significant enhancement in growth parameters with foliar application of NPK 19:19:19 might be attributed to the rapid leaf absorption and ready availability of balanced nutrients at active metabolic sites. This balanced supply of N, P and K stimulated cell division, energy transfer and stomatal regulation, thereby boosting photosynthetic efficiency and dry matter accumulation. These results corroborate the findings reported by Gurjar et al. (2017) [10] , Kikon et al. (2026) [17] in linseed and by Solanki et al. (2022) [18] in mustard.

Yield attributes

A perusal of data presented in The increment in yield attributes under higher soil NPK levels could be ascribed to adequate basal N, P and K availability, which sustained photosynthesis, minimized capsule shedding and ensured effective seed filling, thereby improving yield attributes. Similar findings have also been reported in linseed by Devedee et al. (2018) [19] , Gaikwad et al. (2020) [16] . Foliar application of NPK 19:19:19 provided readily available nutrients directly to active foliage, reducing flower and capsule drop to significantly enhance the number of capsules per plant and harvest index over water spray. Comparable results have been documented earlier by Gurjar et al. (2017) [10] , Kumar et al. (2023) [20] .

Yield

The results presented in [19] , Shaik et al. (2021) [21] , Badkul et al. (2022) [22] , Durgeshwari et al. (2024) [23] . Direct nutrient assimilation through foliar spray of NPK sustained canopy photosynthesis at critical growth stages, speeding assimilate transport to maximize capsule set and seed development. These findings are supported by the earlier observations of Gurjar et al. (2017) [10] , Das et al. (2023) [24] , Kumari et al. (2025) [12] , Borah et al. (2026) [25] in linseed.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgementThe authors gratefully acknowledge the Dean and faculty members of the Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Kota, for providing essential facilities and consistent encouragement during the research work

References

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26. How to cite this article: Sharma S, Sharma K, Meena B, Yadav R, Meghwal H. Effect of soil NPK levels in conjunction with foliar NPK sprays on productivity and profitability of linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) in Vertisols. International Journal of Research in Agronomy. 2026;9(9):1032-1036. doi: https://www.d oi.org/10.33545/2618060X.2026.v9.i9n.6643