Influence of Sulphur and Zinc Levels on Growth and Yield of (ZAID) Sunflower (Helianthus annus L.)

Background: The field experiment was carried out during Zaid 2022 at Crop Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, SHUATS, Prayagraj (U.P). The soil of experimental plot was sandy loam in texture, nearly neutral in soil reaction (pH 7.1), low in organic carbon (0.36 %), available N (171 kg/ha), available P (15.2 kg/ha) and available K (233 kg/ha). The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with nine treatments each replicated thrice on the basis of one year experimentation. The treatments which are T1: Sulphur 15 kg/ha + Zinc 0.2%, T2: Sulphur 15 kg/ha + Zinc 0.3%, T3: Sulphur 15 kg/ha + Zinc 0.4%, T4: Sulphur 25 kg/ha + Zinc 0.2%, T5: Sulphur 25 kg/ha + Zinc 0.3%, T6: Sulphur 25 kg/ha + Zinc 0.4%, T7: Sulphur 35 kg/ha + Zinc 0.2%, T8: Sulphur 35 kg/ha + Zinc 0.3%, T9: Sulphur 35 kg/ha + Zinc 0.4%, T10: Control are used. The results showed that application of Sulphur 35 kg/ha + Zinc 0.4% recorded significantly higher plant height (111.00 cm), Number of leaves/plant (12.00), Stem Diameter (5.80 cm), Plant dry weight (55.99 g/plant), Seeds/capitulum (216.66), unfilled Seeds/capitulum (35.00), Test weight (62.57 g), Seed yield (1935.60 kg/ha), stalk yield (4942.4 kg/ha), Harvest index (56.07 %), gross returns (Rs.1,16,136.00/ha), net return (Rs.82,486.00/ha) and benefit cost ratio (2.45).