Application of zinc, boron, and molybdenum in soil increases lentil productivity, nutrient uptake, and apparent balance

Abstract

In severely deficit soil, lentil (Lens culinaris Medic) crop requires micronutrients for increased production. Micronutrient management is, therefore, very important for lentil productivity but mostly ignored. This study was carried out from 2014-2015 to 2016-2017 to understand the effects of zinc (Zn), boron (B) and molybdenum (Mo) on lentil productivity, nodulation and nutrient uptake and how these elements improve soil micronutrient fertility. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design and the treatments were replicated thrice. Different combinations of Zn, Mo and B were contrasted with no application of micronutrients. The treatments were Zn alone (Zn), B alone (B), Mo alone (Mo), Zn combined with B (ZnB), Zn with Mo (ZnMo), B with Mo (BMo) and Zn combined with B and Mo (ZnBMo). Doses of Zn, B and Mo were 3, 2 and 1 kg hectare-1, respectively. In this trial, the highest average seed yield (1807 kg ha-1) and yield increment (44%) was obtained in ZnBMo combined application with macronutrients. Single, dual and combined application of Zn, B and Mo had significant effects on yield parameters and yield of lentil (p<0.05). The highest nutrient uptake, maximum nodulation (63.5 plant-1) and the highest protein content (26.6 %) in seed were recorded from the treatment receiving all three micronutrients. The increased lentil yield might be associated with increased nodulation and nutrient uptake by the crop under micronutrient applied treatments. The results suggest that combination of Zn, B and Mo could be applied for increased lentil production in micronutrient deficit soils.

Influence of molybdenum application on soil nutrient status and uptake by cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.) in an Acid Alfisol soil

“…As uptake is a function of yield and higher yields were registered in the plots where Mo application was done, might have led to an increase in the potassium uptake. Similar stimulative effects of Mo application on potassium uptake were also reported by many researchers in lentil, mungbean and loquat (Islam et al, 2018;Qudus et al, 2020;Hossain et al, 2020;Ali et al, 2021).…”

“…The significant effect of Mo application in increasing the curd yield might be due to the role of Mo in phosphorus utilization which might have played a significant role in causing early maturity of the plant (Sahito et al, 2018) which prevented the curd deformation and better marketable curds compared to control. A similar experimental outcome has also been reported in cauliflower, lentil, mungbean and blackgram (Hossain et al, 2018;Islam et al, 2018;Khan et al, 2019;Qudus et al, 2020;Hossain et al, 2020;Mahesh et al, 2021).…”

“…A synergistic effect between phosphorus and Mo application might have led to the formation of anionic complexes between Mo and P, resulting in higher phosphorus uptake by the crop. The stimulative effect of Mo application on phosphorus uptake has also been reported by many researchers in lentil and mungbean (Islam et al, 2018;Hossain et al, 2020;Qudus et al, 2020).…”

“…Molybdenum cofactors participate in the active site of nitrate reductase, which plays an important role in nitrate assimilation and might have improved the utilization rate of N fertilizer (Li et al, 2017). A similar increase in the nitrogen uptake due to the Mo application was reported in many other crops i.e., broccoli, hairy vetch, lentil, mungbean and wheat (Ahmed et al, 2011;Alam et al, 2015;Pawar and Tambe, 2016;Islam et al, 2018;Hossain et al, 2020;Qudus et al, 2020;Moussa et al, 2021).…”

Lentil nitrogen fixation response to fertilizer and inoculant in the northern Great Plains

“…Nitrogen fixation of legume crops responds positively to fertilizer sulfur (S) (Cazzato et al, 2012;Scherer et al, 2006;Zhao et al, 1999) and potassium (K) (Abbasi et al, 2012;Abdelhamid et al, 2011;Collins et al, 1986). The micronutrients boron (B), molybdenum (Mo), and zinc (Zn) together increased nodulation of lentil (Hossain et al, 2020), and iron (Fe) had a positive effect on biomass N accumulation (Nasar et al, 2019). Lentil N fixation response to S, K, and micronutrients in the NGP is unknown.…”