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ICRISAT Archival Report 2006 - The seedlings of success in the ...

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Milestone 5C.1.1.2: Correlations <strong>of</strong> gra<strong>in</strong> Fe and Zn contents with gra<strong>in</strong> yield and size and agronomic traits<br />

estimated (BVSR, 2008)<br />

Correlations <strong>of</strong> gra<strong>in</strong> Fe and Zn contents with agronomic and gra<strong>in</strong> traits <strong>in</strong> 1394 core germplasm l<strong>in</strong>es were<br />

estimated. Fairly higher correlation (r = 0.6) between gra<strong>in</strong> Fe and Zn contents suggests ample scope for<br />

simultaneous improvement <strong>of</strong> both <strong>the</strong> micronutrients <strong>in</strong> sorghum. Though correlation <strong>of</strong> gra<strong>in</strong> Fe and Zn contents<br />

with days to 50% flower<strong>in</strong>g (0.1 for Fe and 0.2 for Zn), plant height (0.2 for Fe and 0.4 for Zn) is significant and<br />

positive, <strong>the</strong> lower magnitude <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> correlation suggests near <strong>in</strong>dependence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> crop growth traits and gra<strong>in</strong><br />

micronutrients contents. <strong>The</strong> results <strong>in</strong>dicate that sorghum gra<strong>in</strong> Fe and Zn contents can be improved <strong>in</strong> different<br />

maturity and plant stature backgrounds. Similarly, significant negative but lower magnitudes <strong>of</strong> correlation <strong>of</strong> gra<strong>in</strong><br />

Fe and Zn contents with gra<strong>in</strong> yield (-0.2 Fe and -0.2 Zn) and gra<strong>in</strong> size (-0.1 Fe and -0.1 Zn) suggest that it is<br />

possible to enhance gra<strong>in</strong> Fe and Zn contents <strong>in</strong> high-yield<strong>in</strong>g backgrounds with large gra<strong>in</strong>s.<br />

BVS Reddy<br />

Milestone 5C.1.1.3: G × E <strong>in</strong>teractions for gra<strong>in</strong> Fe and Zn contents assessed (BVSR/HDU, 2008)<br />

With a view to assess <strong>the</strong> effect <strong>of</strong> soil micronutrient fertilization on sorghum gra<strong>in</strong> micronutrient contents, a set <strong>of</strong><br />

selected 12 sorghum l<strong>in</strong>es (<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g hybrid seed parents, restorer l<strong>in</strong>es and popular varieties) contrast<strong>in</strong>g (high and<br />

low) for gra<strong>in</strong> Fe and Zn contents were grown <strong>in</strong> vertisols (medium black soil) and alfisols (red sandy loam soils)<br />

with a comb<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>of</strong> five different levels <strong>of</strong> micronutrients <strong>in</strong> 2005 postra<strong>in</strong>y season. To rule out <strong>the</strong> possible<br />

confound<strong>in</strong>g effect <strong>of</strong> deficiency (as is true <strong>in</strong> experimental field soils <strong>of</strong> <strong>ICRISAT</strong>) <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r micronutrients such as<br />

boron (B) and sulphur (S), Fe and Zn fertilization was comb<strong>in</strong>ed with recommended levels <strong>of</strong> boron and sulphur.<br />

<strong>The</strong> five fertilization levels were-first level (T 1 ): recommended NPK + zero micronutrients; second level (T 2 ):<br />

recommended NPK + recommended Fe @ 10 kg ha -1 ; (T 3 ): recommended NPK + recommended Fe @ 10 kg ha -1 +<br />

recommended S @ 30 kg ha -1 + recommended B @ 0.5 kg ha -1 ; fourth level (T 4 ): recommended NPK + Zn @ 10 kg<br />

ha -1 + recommended S @ 30 kg ha -1 + recommended B @ 0.5 kg ha -1 ; and fifth level (T 5 ): recommended NPK + Zn<br />

@ 10 kg ha -1 (Table 3). <strong>The</strong> experiment was laid out <strong>in</strong> strip-plot design with three replications. <strong>The</strong> data were<br />

collected on plant growth traits such as days to 50% flower<strong>in</strong>g, plant height, 100-gra<strong>in</strong> weight, gra<strong>in</strong> color, panicle<br />

shape, panicle compactness, glume color, glume coverage, gra<strong>in</strong> color, presence/absence <strong>of</strong> seed sub coat and gra<strong>in</strong><br />

yield. Hand threshed selfed seed samples from each entry grown at each fertilizer level and each replication were<br />

analyzed for gra<strong>in</strong> Fe and Zn contents <strong>in</strong> soil chemistry laboratory at <strong>ICRISAT</strong>, Patancheru.<br />

<strong>The</strong> analysis <strong>of</strong> variance (ANOVA) <strong>in</strong>dicated significant mean squares due to genotype and first-order <strong>in</strong>teraction <strong>of</strong><br />

genotype with soil type and second-order <strong>in</strong>teraction <strong>of</strong> genotype with soil type and different micronutrient<br />

fertilization levels for gra<strong>in</strong> Fe and Zn contents as expected. While soil type did not have significant effect on gra<strong>in</strong><br />

Zn content <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> test sorghum l<strong>in</strong>es, it did have significant effect on gra<strong>in</strong> Fe content. Interest<strong>in</strong>gly, non-significant<br />

variance due to micronutrient fertilization levels per se suggested poor evidence on <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>fluence <strong>of</strong> soil<br />

micronutrient fertilization on gra<strong>in</strong> Fe and Zn contents <strong>in</strong> any particular soil type. However, significant mean squares<br />

due to <strong>in</strong>teraction <strong>of</strong> micronutrient fertilization levels with soil type <strong>in</strong>dicated that gra<strong>in</strong> Zn content (but not Fe<br />

content) <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> genotypes varied with a given comb<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>of</strong> micronutrient level and soil type.<br />

<strong>The</strong> ANOVA <strong>in</strong>dicates only overall trend <strong>in</strong> variation <strong>of</strong> l<strong>in</strong>es for gra<strong>in</strong> micronutrient contents as <strong>in</strong>fluenced by<br />

micronutrient fertilization, and it does not reveal pattern <strong>of</strong> variation when pair-wise fertilization level effects are<br />

exam<strong>in</strong>ed. For example, mean performance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> l<strong>in</strong>es at different fertilization levels <strong>in</strong>dicated that gra<strong>in</strong> Fe and Zn<br />

contents were significantly higher without micronutrient fertilization compared those with both Fe and Zn<br />

fertilization per se or <strong>in</strong> comb<strong>in</strong>ation with boron and sulphur. However, <strong>the</strong>re were no differences <strong>in</strong> gra<strong>in</strong> Fe and Zn<br />

contents <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> l<strong>in</strong>es grown <strong>in</strong> any <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> micronutrient levels. It appears that micronutrient fertilization does not<br />

<strong>in</strong>fluence <strong>the</strong> gra<strong>in</strong> micronutrient contents. <strong>The</strong> results are based on s<strong>in</strong>gle year and s<strong>in</strong>gle location data with ra<strong>the</strong>r<br />

smaller plot size. Fur<strong>the</strong>r experimentation is needed to confirm <strong>the</strong>se results.<br />

BVS Reddy, HD Upadhyaya and KL Sahrawat<br />

171

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