Evaluating the Efficacy Levels of Zinc Fertilizers on Growth, Yield and Quality of Maize (Zea mays L.)

Background: Zinc deficiency constitutes a significant global issue affecting agricultural productivity and human health, particularly in developing regions where maize is a staple food. Maize is a widely propagated cereal crop on a global scale, playing a pivotal role in agricultural systems across diverse regions as a primary source of calories and nutrients for millions of people. However, maize often lacks essential micronutrients, including zinc, which is crucial for various physiological functions in both plants and humans. Methods: A field experiment was conducted on sandy clayey loam soil during the rabi seasons of 2022 and 2023 Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu to study the effect of zinc fertilization through integrated nutrient management for enhancement of maize productivity and quality under western ghat condition. Maize was planted at a spacing of 60 x 25 cm using a Split Plot Design (SPD) with two integrated nutrient treatments as the main plot and six nutrient level treatments in sub-plots with three replications. Result: The results revealed that that zinc fertilization treatments containing 0.5% Zn as ZnSO4 (H2), led to higher growth and yield attributes, grain yield (8906 kg ha-1) and stover yield (12652 kg ha-1) and also resulted in maximum crude protein content (15.12 %), starch content (63.85 mg g-1), Fe (38.25 mg kg-1) and Zn (36.06 mg kg-1) in maize grain. It was observed that Zinc fertilization through 100% integrated nutrient management enhanced the vegetative growth, yield components and grain quality of maize crop.