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Crop Research

Optimization of fertiliser levels for enhancing growth and yield of Kharif finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) in Southern Odisha


DOI: 10.31830/2454-1761.2025.CR-1052    | Article Id: CR-1052 | Page : 344-350
Citation :- Optimization of fertiliser levels for enhancing growth and yield of Kharif finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) in Southern Odisha. Crop Res. 60: 344-350
SURAJIT PATRA, RAJESH SHRIRAM KALASARE, TRIPTESH MONDAL, PRASANTA KUMAR PATRA, LIMBRAJ PARSHURAM PHOLANE, ROMAN KUMAR MAHTO AND P K SURYAWANSHI rajesh.kalasare@cutm.ac.in
Address : Department of Agronomy and Agroforestry, M.S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Paralakhemundi-761211, Odisha, India
Submitted Date : 5-08-2025
Accepted Date : 22-08-2025
Online Published:

Abstract

The food security and nutritional sustenance in the semi-arid zones of India notably depend on finger millet, a crop rich in minerals and essential amino acids. In Southern Odisha, however, its productivity remains far below the national average due to erratic rainfall and poor soil fertility. Thus, optimising fertiliser levels is vital to enhance yield and ensure economic benefits for marginal farmers. Thus, a field study was conducted at the Post Graduate Research Farm, MSSSoA, CUTM, Odisha, to test the performance of finger millet under a wide range of major nutrient doses. Nutrient doses were:  0, 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150 and 175% of the recommended dose of fertiliser (RDF), which was set at 60:30:30 kg/ha N:P₂O₅: K₂O kg/ha for finger millet cultivation in southern Odisha. Growth parameters such as plant height(142 cm), number of tillers per m2 (73.3), leaf area index (3.58) and dry matter accumulation(617 g/m2) along with yield attributes like the number of effective tillers/m2 (46.1), number of fingers per ear head (6.86), number of grains/finger (1074), and finger length (6.64) as well as grain yield (1522 kg/ha) and stover yield (4587 kg/ha) were all maximized under the 175% RDF treatment. The observed improvements were attributed by meeting the higher nutrient demand of the crop to satisfy its physiological demand by a greater amount of available primary nutrients in the soil. Findings of the present study suggest that the adaptation of 150% RDF in place of 100% will be a promising strategy to increase the finger millet productivity of southern Odisha.

Keywords

Finger millet growth parameters nutrient management yield

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