Zinc-Sulphate and Zn-EDTA Enhances Zn and Other Nutrients and Yield and Quality of Table-Purpose Peanut Cultivars

ABSTRACT

Zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) deficiencies in humans are major problems worldwide, which necessitate their increase in food crops. Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), which is a good nutritional source of Zn and Fe, is used as a table-purpose food item worldwide, but is mostly grown under poor-fertility soils, resulting in low Zn concentrations in the edible seed. In a 2-year field study, the influence of zinc sulfate and Zn-EDTA, at 2 kg Zn ha⁻¹, was studied in 20 confectionery peanut cultivars where both of these Zn sources increased yield attributes, 100-seed weight, and Zn, P, and K concentrations in seed. The respective mean concentrations of Zn, P, and K in the seed were 43 mg kg⁻¹ and 0.61% and 0.75% in control which increased to 50 mg kg⁻¹ and 0.62% and 0.76%, with the application of zinc sulfate and 46 mg kg⁻¹ and 0.63% and 0.82%, respectively, with the application of Zn-EDTA. The cultivars TG 37A, GG 7, HNG 69, ICGV 00348, CSMG 884, and BAU 13 showed high protein (25% and above), Zn (>50 mg kg⁻¹), Fe (>75 mg kg⁻¹), P (>0.60%), and K (>0.75%) with the application of zinc sulfate and hence are being recommended for cultivation and their use as food to ameliorate micronutrient malnutrition.

KEYWORDS:

• Iron
• legume nutrition
• oil seeds
• phosphorus
• potassium
• protein

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the Director, ICAR-Directorate of Groundnut Research, Junagadh, for providing necessary facilities during the course of investigation. This research did not receive any specific funding.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).