Multi criteria decision making analysis to identify micronutrient deficiencies in Kinnow (Citrus reticulata Blanco)

Abstract

The soils of South-Western Punjab are alkaline and exhibited widespread nutrient deficiencies. Foliar applications of micronutrients under such circumstances hold great importance. However, micronutrient sprays on Kinnow grown in such soils are limited only to Zn and Mn. Therefore, the response of Kinnow to foliar applications of micronutrient mixture (containing Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, B, and Mo) was expected. In this viewpoint, studies were carried out during 2015–2019 to see the effect of foliar sprays (0.3 and 0.6%) of non-chelated and EDTA-chelated micronutrient mixtures in Kinnow mandarin. The results were compared with standard practice i.e., 0.3% sprays each of zinc sulfate and manganese sulfate on spring and summer flushes. The data was analyzed in Randomized Block Design, repeated in octuplet. The overall performance of treatments was evaluated using weighted aggregated sum product assessment model (WASPAS). The WASPAS score varied between 0.638–0.649 and 0.194–0.245 in treatments received non-chelated and chelated micronutrient mixtures, respectively, pointing out the superiority of the former. In overall, treatment followed standard practice registered highest WASPAS score and ranked at number 1 among all. Highly significant (p < 0.01) correlation between WASPAS score and leaf Zn, Mn, and Cu concentrations clearly demonstrated the importance of foliar sprays of these micronutrients in the citrus production under the prevailing conditions. The study also suggests that multi criteria decision making analysis holds a key importance in agriculture domain for insightful decision making.

Keywords:

• citrus
• MCDM
• nutrient management

Acknowledgement

All the staff members of PAU Regional Research Station are duly acknowledged for their support and cooperation during the study. Special thanks are due to Deputy Director Citrus Estate Abohar for assisting in soil and plant analysis in their soil and plant testing laboratory.

Disclosure Statement

There was no conflict of interest among authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana.