Influence of zinc and sulphur on growth and yield attributes of Onion (Allium cepa L.) cv. Bhima Super under Western Uttar Pradesh conditions

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the winter season of 2022-23 at the Horticulture Research Farm, Janta Vedic College, Baraut, Baghpat (U.P.), India, to evaluate the combined influence of zinc and sulphur on the growth and yield attributes of onion (Allium cepa L.) cv. „Bhima Super‟ under Western Uttar Pradesh conditions. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with nine treatments along with a control and replicated trice: T₀ (Control), T₁ (100% NPK), T₂ (RDF + Zn 30 kg/ha), T₃ (RDF + Zn 20 kg/ha), T₄ (RDF + S 45 kg/ha), T₅ (RDF + S 30 kg/ha), T₆ (RDF + Zn 20+ S 30 kg/ha), T₇ (RDF + Zn 20 + S 45 kg/ha), T₈ (RDF + Zn 30 + S 30 kg/ha), and T₉ (RDF + Zn 30 + S 45 kg/ha). The results revealed that the integrated application of zinc and sulphur significantly enhanced all studied parameters. The treatment T₉ (RDF + Zn 30 kg/ha + S 45 kg/ha) emerged as the most effective, recording the maximum plant height (49.92 cm), stem length (8.49 cm), number of leaves (8.03), leaf length (41.43 cm), and neck thickness (1.79 cm). Furthermore, yield attributes were significantly superior in T₉, including polar diameter (5.11 cm), equatorial diameter (6.02 cm), bulb fresh weight
(52.11 g), bulb dry weight (14.15 g), total soluble solids (12.26°Brix), leaf dry weight (16.80 g), and bulb weight per plot (9.05 kg). The highest total bulb yield (278.55 q/ha) was also recorded under the T₉ treatment. The study concludes that the application of RDF supplemented with 30 kg/ha zinc and 45 kg/ha sulphur is highly effective for optimizing onion productivity under the agro-climatic conditions of Western U.P. and the Delhi NCR region.