Effect of Nano Urea on Growth and Yield of Potato in Lower Gangetic Planes of West Bengal

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-2211990/v1

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Effect of Nano Urea on Growth and Yield of Potato in Lower Gangetic Planes of West Bengal

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2211990/v1

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In today’s world it is the need of the hour to adopt new technology to sustain the production of future. Nano technology is gaining popularity for its efficiency over various applied field of science. In agriculture the nano materials have a huge impact on efficiency of fertilizer pesticides etc. As it requires in very less quantity and has a negligible residual effect the environment is safe with the innovation of Nano fertilizer. Keeping this view into account an experimental Trial at farmer’s field was carried out at Berui village in Hooghly District of West Bengal during the winter (rabi) season of 2019 – 20 under the supervision of Berui Cooperative, KVK-Hooghly, BCKV and IFFCO with nano-Urea, nano-Zn and nano-Cu using RBD design with 10 treatments and 3 replications. Experimental results revealed that highest tuber yield was obtained in T-7 (50% N+100% P & K+ 2 spray of nano-Urea), and that was followed by T-10 (50% N + 100% P & K + 50% Zn + 1 spray each of Nano-Urea, Zn and Cu) and T-8 (100% N-P-K + 50% Zn + 2 spray of Nano-Zn). The performance of nano fertilizers, Nano- Urea, was quite promising and economically viable as compared to 100% recommended dose with commercial fertilizers (RDF).

Agronomy

Nano technology

Nano Urea

Fertilization

Plant Nutrition

Potato is the third most important food crop after wheat and rice in India. It is an important crop of West Bengal. In potato production, West Bengal ranks 2nd, only after UP. Because potatoes are a heavy feeder crop, they require substantial amounts of fertiliser for growth, development, and production (Mishra,2018). Since nanotechnology is becoming recognised as one of the most promising strategies for increasing agricultural output in recent years, it has become vital to apply a variety of techniques in agriculture, including this one. Because potatoes are a heavy feeder crop, they require substantial amounts of fertiliser for growth, development, and production (Mishra,2018). Thus, nutrient management of Potato is very much essential for soil and environmental health without compromising the yield of the crop. Potato crop requires 180–240 kg N/ha fertilizers to produce a tuber yield of 35–45 t/ha. Ur = se efficiency of nitrogen in potato is only 40–50% and remaining N is lost in environment (Trehan and Singh, 2013). Thus, any alternative way to mitigate the loss and increase the use efficiency of the fertilizer is very important in term of sustainability of agriculture. Nano Urea, which has been authorised and listed in FCO, was introduced by IFFCO in India. They have also concluded its advantages over the traditional techniques after conducting a thorough investigation and trials.

Objectives:

1) To find out the effect of nano fertilizers on the growth and yield of Potato crop.

2) To observe the feasibility of reduction of dose of commercial prill Urea-fertilizer with

the application of nano-N fertilizer.

Field trial was conducted at Berui of Hooghly District of West Bengal during winter (Rabi) season of 2019-20. The potato cultivar used in the experiment was Kufri Jyoti and medium size tubers (30-35g) was planted on 12-12-2019 at a spacing of 60 cm and at a depth of 5–7 cm and covered with soil. The soil of the experimental plot was sandy loam. Normal land preparation was done with ploughing, followed by harrowing and planking or leveling. The experiment was laid out in RBD with 3 replications and 10 treatments. The treatments were as follows:

T-1 = Control (i.e., No Fertilizer)

T-2 = Control + 2 spray of tap water.

T-3 = 2 sprays of nano- N

T-4 = 2 sprays of nano-Zn

T-5 = 2 sprays of nano-Cu

T-6 = 100% RDF (N, P, K & Zn @ 200- 150-150-15kg/ha)

T-7 = 50% N + 100% P & K + 2 spray of nano-N

T-8 = 100% NPK + 50% Zn + 2 sprays of Nano-Zn

T-9 = 100% NPKZn + 2 spray of nano-Cu.

T-10 = 50% N + 100% P & K + 50% Zn + 1 spray each of nano-N, Zn and Cu.

Nano fertilizers were applied twice, at 30 and 45 days after planting, except in T-10, where the 1st spray was done at 30 days after planting with nano-N, followed by spraying of nano-Zn and nano-Cu at an interval of 15 days, that means the 3rd spray was done at 60 days after planting. Nano fertilizers were sprayed @ 4 ml/litre of water as per treatment stated above.

It has been observed that plant height, root length and finally tuber yield were recorded maximum in treatment T-7 (Table 1 & Fig. 1) where the crop was fertilized with 2 sprays of Nano-N + recommended dose of P, K and 50% of recommended dose of N and the treatment was found best among all the treatments. A critical examination of data revealed that treatment T-7 with 50% of full recommended dose of N (through urea) + 2 spray of nano-N proved significantly superior to T-6 (100% RDF) in terms of tuber yield. The crop yield of treatment in T-8, fertilized with nano-Zn spraying along with 100% NPK + 50% Zn also gave better yield than T-6 and the difference in yield was statistically significant. The treatment T-10 with 100% P and K, 50% N, 50% Zn and single spray of each nano - N, nano - Zn, and nano - Cu recorded significantly higher yield than T-6 (100% RDF), however the yield in T-10 was less than T-7 and T-7 was significantly better than T-10. The benefit cost ratio (B:C) indicated that T-7 was better over rest of the treatments. According to study by DeRossa et al controlling nutrient release and providing crops with the exact amounts of nutrients in the right proportions, Nano fertilizers can increase yield while maintaining environmental safety.

To assess the efficacy of nano products on the yield of potato, data on some growth parameters were recorded and then analysed statistically. The data revealed that T-7 produced a greater number of sub-branches per plant (Fig. 1), as a result crop canopy was also more in T-7, which indicated a better photosynthesis in T-7 over other treatments. There was 12.3% more root length and 15.6% taller plant in T-7 which might have played an important role for highest B:C Ratio of 2.1:1 and 6.9% incremental yield of tuber with respect to 100% RDF in T- 6 treatment.

In crops like potato, root mass has a positive correlation with shoot mass and tuber bulking, and final tuber yield depends a lot on root length and root mass. It has been observed that Root length in T-7 was significantly more thanT-2, T-3 and T-5 which could have played an important role in better nutrient uptake and consequent 6.9% incremental yield over RDF. Treatment T-10 with 50% of recommended dose of N & Zn and 100% P & K fertilizers and one spray of nano-N at 30 days after planting, followed by 2nd spray of nano-Zn at 45 days after planting and 3rd spray of nano-Cu at 60 days after planting recorded 9.37% more plant height, 6.85% more root length with marginal 3.5% yield increase with respect to 100% RDF (T- 6). In treatments T-7 and T-10, the size of last (terminal) leaf, spread of roots have also been found better than that observed in T-6. Further it may be worth mentioning here that the crop maturity was advance in T7 by 8 days over T-6. In a 2013 study by Raliya and Tarafdar, it was shown that zinc oxide, Nano Particles enhanced the activity of the enzyme’s acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, and phytase in the rhizosphere of a cluster bean plant.

The 10 point experiment (with 10 treatments) on potato, conducted at Berui Village, Hoogly (W.B.), showed that application of nano-N @4ml/Litre with 2 spray at 30 & 45 days after planting has an important bearing in sustaining yield of potato with 50% cut in recommended dose of fertilizer N (urea), and at the most top dressing of urea (i.e., 50% of the recommended dose) could safely be omitted with 2 spray of nano-N. Nano-Zn spray with 50% recommended dose of Zn has also found satisfactory to sustain yield. However, the role of nano-Cu in potato yield is not conspicuous (clear from the one-year experiment), needs further experiments to reach any decision.

Table 1

Effect of Nano Fertilizer on growth and Yield of Potato crop
TREATMENT	Plant Height (cm)	Root length (cm)	Main stem girth (cm)	Tuber Yield (kg/ha)	B:C RATIO
T- 1	40.8	7.0	3.2	8330.0	0.75:1
T- 2	42.4	6.8	3.4	8540.0	0.75:1
T- 3	41.6	6.6	3.1	9187.5	0.80:1
T- 4	43.2	7.1	3.3	8662.5	0.75:1
T- 5	44.8	6.7	3.1	8575.0	0.74:1
T- 6	51.2	7.3	4.3	25795	2.01:1
T-7	59.2	8.2	4.1	27580	2.10:1
T- 8	56.8	7.9	4.4	26635	2.04:1
T- 9	54.4	7.6	4.3	26005	1.95:1
T-10	56.0	7.8	3.8	26705	1.99:1
SEm (±)	1.09	043	0.20	47.58	-
CD at 0.05	3.24	1.28	0.59	141.36	-

It may be concluded from the present study that 50% reduction of recommended N fertilizer dose through conventional prill urea, or in other words substitution of recommended commercial N fertilizer (urea), with Nano Urea ( N) in liquid form is very much possible which has not only contributed 6.9%yield increase in the study but also at the same time has given additional income to farmers to the tune of Rs 17800/-per ha(7100/- per acre) .Local Farmers in adjoining villages of Berui Cooperative were very much impressed with the performance of Nano Urea and transmitted new hope and aspirations in potato cultivation .Application of nano-fertilizer may be considered as a sustainable management practice since it will help to reduce the cost of cultivation apart from benefitting soil health.

Competing interests:

Authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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Effect of Nano Urea on Growth and Yield of Potato in Lower Gangetic Planes of West Bengal

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