Abstract

During the recent time, small millets are re-evaluated as ‘nutri-cereals’ because of their nutritional quality. Among various small millets, finger millet (Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn) is of prime importance due to its potential in terms of production and productivity. Though finger millet is a less nutrient demanding crop, improved varieties respond well to added nutrients. Nitrogen is the most limiting macro-nutrient that determines the crop productivity. However, soil application of nitrogen in the form of chemical fertilizer might be subjected to different losses. Foliar application of urea is a well-known strategy to abate acute deficiency at any crop growing stage. Recent developments in the field of nano-technology and release of IFFCO nano-urea enhance the scope of nitrogen supplementation with increased efficiency. To evaluate the comparative performance of foliar application of urea and nano-urea in finger millet, a field experiment was conducted during rabi season of 2021–22 at Experimental Farm of Centurion University of Technology and Management, Paralakhemundi, Odisha. The experiment was laid out in a randomized completely blocked design (RCBD) with 11 treatments, replicated thrice. The results revealed that the treatment consisting of 40 kg N/ha + 2 sprays of nano urea @ 4 ml/L applied at tillering and pre-flowering stage was superior to the rest of the treatments in terms of growth, yield parameters and yield of finger millet. However, 20 kg N/ha+2 sprays of nano urea @ 4ml/L recorded at par results with sole soil application of 40 kg N/ha. Therefore, it was concluded that application of 20kg N/ha+2 sprays of nano urea @ 4 ml/L could be an economical and sustainable strategy to optimize the use of nitrogen in finger millet in southern Odisha.