Response of High Yielding Variety of Finger Millet to NPK Nutrition in North Central Laterites of Kerala, India

Finger millet is one of the most healthy and nutritious crop grown all over India. A field experiment was conducted to standardize nutrient requirement of HYV of finger millet “Hima” at the Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, Kerala from October 2021 to February 2022. Randomized block design was followed with 8 treatments replicated thrice. The experiment comprised of eight treatments ie; T1 - Farm Yard Manure @ 5t ha-1 alone and six N: P2O5: K2O fertiiser doses along with FYM @ 5t/ha T2- NPK 90: 45: 45 kg ha-1 T3- NPK 60: 30: 30 kg ha-1 T4- NPK 50: 25: 25 kg ha-1 T5- NPK 40: 20: 20 kg ha-1 T6- NPK 30: 15: 15 kg ha-1 T7- NPK 20: 10: 10 kg ha-1 compared with an absolute control (without manures & fertilizers) (T8). Net plot size was 19.2m2 [640 plants per plot]. Finger millet was transplanted at a spacing of 30cm x 10cm at 30 DAS. Application of Farm Yard Manure @ 5 t ha-1 along with different N: P2O5: K2O levels resulted in higher plant height, leaf area index, dry matter production, grain yield and crude protein content in finger millet compared to absolute control. At all stages, the plants that received FYM @ 5 t ha-1 along with N: P2O5: K2O levels of 90: 45: 45 kg ha-1, 60: 30: 30 kg ha-1 and 50: 25: 25 kg ha-1 registered statistically comparable plant height and were superior compared to other levels of N P K. The plants which got the highest fertilizer dose (90:45:45 kg ha-1 N: P2O5: K2O) had the highest LAI (2.91), dry matter production (3874kg/ha) and grain yield (1523 kg ha-1) which was superior to all other N: P2O5: K2O levels and absolute control. The highest B: C ratio (1.43), grain and straw yield in finger millet was recorded with application of Farm Yard Manure @ 5t ha-1 + 90:45:45 kg N: P2O5: K2O ha-1 applied in two splits (at basal and 30 DAT) under north central laterites of Kerala.