NUTRIENT UPTAKE BY GRAIN SORGHUM AS INFLUENCED BY CULTIVARS AND NITROGEN FERTILIZATION IN SANDY LOAM SOIL
CLETO NAMOOBE*, R. K. NANWAL, PAWAN KUMAR AND K. S. GREWAL
Zambia College of Agriculture,
Ministry of Agriculture, Zambia
*(e-mail : malohamwa@yahoo.com)
(Received: 7 July, 2013; 25 August, 2013)
SUMMARY
The experiment was carried out at the Student Farm of CCS HAU, Hisar for two consecutive kharif seasons of 2011 and 2012. The field was laid out in a split plot design following the block randomization system with three replications. Four varieties (HC 541, HC 308, HC 171 and HJ 513) and five nitrogen levels (0, 40, 60, 80 and 100 kg N ha-1) were taken in the main plots and subplots, respectively. Data collected revealed that grain and straw yields were significantly affected by both variety and nitrogen application. HJ 541 gave the highest grain and straw yields (1973 kg ha-1 and 18086 kg ha-1) with nitrogen application of 100 kg N ha-1, respectively. Nitrogen application enhanced N content and uptake in grain, but a non significant effect was recorded in straw by varieties. A non significant response was noticed with N application on P content in grain while P content in straw was significant. Nitrogen levels significantly affected K content in both grain and straw. Total uptake of NPK was enhanced by nitrogen application at all levels while control recorded the lowest total NPK uptake.
Key words : Sorghum, fodder, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, uptake