Effect of Vermicompost and Foliar Application of Zinc on Soil Properties and Nutrients Uptake by Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L)

A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of vermicompost and foliar application of zinc on soil properties and nutrients uptake by groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) during 2018-19 and 2019-20. The ten treatments in the experiment viz., T1 (N:P:K, 15:60:30), T2 (N:P:K +Vermicompost), T3 (N:P:K +Vermicompost + Soil Zn 100%), T4 (N:P:K + Vermicompost + Soil Zn 75%), T5 (N:P:K + foliar application of 0.25% ZnSO4), T6 (N:P:K + foliar application of 0.50% ZnSO4), T7 (N:P:K + foliar application of 0.75% ZnSO4), T8 (N:P:K + Vermicompost + foliar application of 0.25% ZnSO4), T9 (N:P:K + Vermicompost + foliar application of 0.50% ZnSO4) and T10 (N:P:K + Vermicompost + foliar application of 0.75% ZnSO4) were replicated thrice under randomized block design (RBD). The results of the experiment revealed that the treatment receiving N:P:K (15:60:30) + Vermicompost (5 t ha-1) + Soil Zn 100% (T3) had significantly higher values of organic carbon (0.56 percent), available nitrogen (156.59 kg ha-1), available P2O5 (50.39 kg ha-1), available K2O (183.14 kg ha-1), Zn (0.65 mg kg-1), lower values of pH (7.34), EC (0.22 dSm-1) and higher values of nutrients uptake over control (T1), while at par with the application of N:P:K + Vermicompost + Soil Zn 75% (T4), N:P:K + Vermicompost + foliar application of 0.25% ZnSO4 (T8), N:P:K + Vermicompost + foliar application of 0.50% ZnSO4 (T9) and N:P:K + Vermicompost + foliar application of 0.75% ZnSO4 (T10).