RESPONSE OF MUNGBEAN YIELD AND YIELD CONTRIBUTING TRAITS UNDER ZINC BIOFORTIFICATION

Agronomic bio fortification with zinc foliar application in mungbean plants is an easy way to improve grain quality with this micronutrient. This work investigates the response of mungbean yield and yield contributing traits under zinc bio fortification. Plant were grown in the experimental field of Bangladesh Institute of Research and training on Applied Nutrition (BIRTAN), Regional station, Rangpur, Bangladesh. The layout of the study was randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications at natural conditions. The mungbean plants were foliar sprayed with zinc solution by treatment T1 (1%), T2 (2%), T3 (3%), T4 (4%) using zinc sulphate as source of zinc while no application of zinc was also consider as control treatment T0. Data were collected on ten yield and yield contributing characters. Foliar application of zinc enhanced the plant growth and improved the agronomic traits. All the treatments showed better result than control treatment in response to different yield contributing traits. Among different treatments, Zn applied at 3% in treatment T3 was the most effective treatment to improve the reproductive branch per plant, number of pod per plant, pod length, number of seed per pod which were the major yield contributing traits. Based on agronomic performance may be sprayed with foliar application of zinc at 3% for harvesting better grain yield of mungbean.