The Influence of Iron Chelates on Chlorophyll Content and Yield of Bajra Napier
S. S. Sangeetha *
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, TNAU, Coimbatore, India.
D. Jawahar
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, TNAU, Coimbatore, India.
T. Chitdeshwari
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, TNAU, Coimbatore, India and Sugarcane Research Station, Cuddalore, Department of Nano Science and Technology, TNAU, Coimbatore, India.
C. Babu
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, TNAU, Coimbatore, India and Sugarcane Research Station, Cuddalore, Department of Nano Science and Technology, TNAU, Coimbatore, India.
L. Lakshmanan
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, TNAU, Coimbatore, India and Sugarcane Research Station, Cuddalore, Department of Nano Science and Technology, TNAU, Coimbatore, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Bajra Napier is an important forage crop. Numerous studies have reported a direct relationship between ferrite levels and physiological function of plants. The present study investigates the impact of iron sources and its levels on yield and chlorophyll content of Bajra Napier. The experiment was carried out in a Factorial CRD with 3 factors namely seven sources of Iron (Fe glycinate, Fe citrate, Fe tartrate, Fe glutamate, FeSO4, Fe-EDDHA, Fe malate) four levels (FeSO4 - 0, 25, 37.5 and 50 kg ha -1 and Fe chelates - 0, 1, 2.5 and 5 kg ha -1) and two different soils (Calcareous and Non-calcareous).The results revealed that the iron application increased the chlorophyll concentration and yield, and it was also seen that as the level increased there was an increase in both the characteristics. These results indicated that applying Fe chelates have significantly improved the quality of produce and it was seen that there was an improvement in the iron uptake and the fodder yield showed a greater increase when compared to ferrous sulphate.
Keywords: Bajra Napier, iron chelates, chlorophyll content, active iron, fodder yield