Abstract:
A field experiment was conducted on rice during rabi season of 2015 to
study the effect of balanced nutrient management in nutrient availability,
yield, uptake, protein and oil content in niger. The experiment was
conducted using five levels of potassium viz., 0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 kg ha-1
,
four levels of sulphur viz., 0, 15, 30 and 45 kg ha-1
, four levels of zinc viz.,
0, 2, 4 and 6 kg ha-1
, four levels of Boron viz., 0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 kg ha-1
and nitrogen in a single dose @ 40 kg ha-1
using niger as the test crop.
Stover and seed yield was increased with increasing application of sulphur.
The highest seed yield (4.69 q ha-1
) was recorded with application of
highest doses of sulphur. Oil content of niger varied from 31.7% to 38.8%.
Sulphur application also increased oil content. Protein content ranged
between 15.05 to 21.12%. Both micronutrients and sulphur application
resulted in increase in protein content in niger seeds
Niger is a minor oilseed crop important under
rainfed conditions, coarse textured, poor soils
especially on hill slopes. Niger seeds contain
a considerable quantity of edible oil (38 to
43%), protein (20%), sugar (12%), and
minerals for human consumption and animal
meals (Gentient and Teklewold, 1995). Cakes
obtained after extraction of its oil are used as
a nutritious cattle feed and the low grade oil cake is also used as concentrated organic
manure in the agricultural lands. India is the
chief producer of niger seeds in the world by
contributing second and fourth position in the
acreage and annual production of the world,
respectively. In the country, it is extensively
grown in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,
