Foliar Application of Micronutrients on Growth and Yield of Okra under Different Irrigated Conditions

A field experiment was conducted at Water Management Research Unit, Vellanikkara from December 2018 to March 2019 to study the effect of foliar application of zinc and boron on growth and yield of okra under drip irrigation and conventional irrigation methods. Treatments consisted of foliar sprays of zinc as ZnSO4 (0.5%), boron as Solubor® (0.5%), combination of zinc and boron [ZnSO4 (0.5%) + Solubor® (0.5%)] and KAU multi mix (Sampoorna, 0.5%), three times at three week intervals and these treatments were tested against treatment without foliar application of micronutrients both under drip irrigation and conventional irrigation. All the treatments were supplied with soil test based application of NPK at recommended dose and FYM at 20 t/ha. Results of the study revealed that under drip irrigated condition, foliar application of KAU multi mix resulted in greater plant height, leaf area, fruit length, fruit weight and fruit yield. However, under conventional irrigation, foliar application of micronutrients did not produce any yield advantage over treatments without foliar application.