Application of phosphorus through doliar sprays improves the productivity and quality of tukhm-e-balanga [lallemantia royleana benth]

ABSTRACT

An experiment on the cultivation of Black Psyllium, also known as Tukhm-e-balanga [Lallemantia royleana Benth.] was performed according to a simple randomised block design to determine whether supplemental phosphorus application at 60 days after sowing [d] as foliar spray of 1, 2 and 4 kg p/ha [F [p1], F[p2] and F[p4] or top-dressing of 10 and 20kg p/ha T[p10] and T[p20] could improve the growth, yield and quality of the crop. A uniform basal dose [20 kg/ha, each of nitrogen and potassium was applied at sowing. Phosphorus was applied basally at 40kg p/ha recommended dose] in control 1 [B[p40] + F[w0] and at 20 kg p/ha in the remaining treatments, including control 2 [B[p20]+ F[w], both controls being sprayed with de-jonised water at 60 d. The parameters studied were root length, fresh weight of root, dry weight of root, shoot length, fresh weight of shoot, dry weight of shoot, number of branches/plant, number of buds/branch at full bloom stage and seed yield, biological yield and swelling factor at harvest. Most vegetative parameters were generally enhanced by B[p20] + F[P2], B[p20] + F[P4] and B[p20]. + T[P10] Yield characters and swelling factor were maximum in treatment B[p20]+ F[P2]and B[p20]+ F[P4].It may, therefore, be concluded that foliar spray of only 2 kg P/ha on plants grown with half the recommended P dose at sowing proved optimum and resulting simultaneously in the economy of phosphatic fertilizer