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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp5 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Micronutrient interventions for enhancing yield and quality of fodder sorghum

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.12535
Submitted
1 November 2025
Published
22-07-2026

Abstract

Deficiency or malnutrition occurs due to the lack of micronutrients, which results from the deficiency of essential micronutrients in the soil. Micronutrient deficiency of zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) in grains, as well as in feed and fodder, create a serious issue globally. The dairy industry is highly dependent on the availability of high-quality fodder for cattle feeding. Agronomical biofortification is a simple and effective way to correct micronutrient deficiencies. Green biomass and fodder quality are important aspects of feed and fodder. To achieve these objectives, an experiment was conducted at the Main Forage Research Station, Anand Agricultural University, Anand (Gujarat) during kharif 2019 and 2020. Green fodder yield, dry matter yield and crude protein yield are major parameters of quality fodder. The treatments consisted of soil application of Zn and Fe as basal applications followed by foliar application of Zn and Fe at 30 and 45 days after sowing (DAS). After two years of experimentation on Zn and Fe micronutrients on sorghum fodder in the semi-arid region of Gujarat (India). The results revealed that an application of 20 kg ZnSO4 +20 kg FeSO4/ha followed by 0.5 % ZnSO4 + 0.5 % FeSO4 as a foliar spray reported significantly higher green fodder yield (826.39 % and 575.00 %), dry matter yield (273.8 and 196.08 q/ha) and crude protein yield (12.83 and 12.21 q/ha) in season I and season II respectively. The experiment conducted indicated that agronomical biofortification in fodder sorghum improved the Zn and Fe content as well as their uptake by the crop, thereby enhancing the quality of fodder sorghum compared to no application of Zn and Fe. It is an effective supplementation strategy to overcome Zn and Fe deficiency in fodder crops.

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