Volume 15, Issue 59, 2026
Research Article
Enhancement in Growth and Yield of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) through Agro-Biofortification with Iron and Zinc
Prince Meena, B. L. Choudhary, Hoshiyar Singh, A. L. Choudhary and Deepika Chanda and Sachin Kumar Meena
Keywords: Sorghum, bio fortification, iron, zinc, yield, quality, Randomized Block Design, foliar application, soil application, economic analysis, Biological yield
DOI:10.37273/chesci.cs172057064
Abstract
A field experiment titled enhancement in growth and yield of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) through agro-biofortification with iron and zinc” was conducted during the Kharif season of 2024 at the Agriculture Research Farm of Vivekananda Global University, Jaipur, on sandy loam soils with slightly alkaline pH, low organic carbon and nitrogen, and medium phosphorus and potassium levels. The study employed a Randomized Block Design with three replications and nine treatments (T1-T9) combining the General Recommended Dose of Fertilizers (GRDF) with various iron and zinc applications. Treatment T9, comprising GRDF (90:45:45 kg/ha N: P2O5:K2O + 10 t FYM/ha), soil application of ZnSO4 (20 kg/ha) and FeSO4 (25 kg/ha), and foliar application of 0.2% chelated Fe and Zn, significantly enhanced growth parameters, yield attributes, and overall yield. T9 recorded the highest grain yield (3804 kg/ha), stover yield (8500 kg/ha), and biological yield (12304 kg/ha), alongside the highest net return (Rs. 92,911/ha) and benefit-cost ratio (1.57), proving to be the most effective and economically viable treatment for sorghum biofortification.
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