Response of aonla-based horti-pastoral systems to foliar application of micronutrients

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted in a ten-year-old aonla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.) based horti-pastoral system under semi-arid conditions to evaluate the effect of foliar application of boron and zinc on tree growth, fruit yield and quality, pasture productivity, and biomass carbon sequestration. Foliar sprays were applied twice annually, at flowering and after fruit set, for five consecutive years (2018-2023). Micronutrient application significantly improved growth parameters, fruit retention, yield, and fruit quality of aonla trees. Among the treatments, the combined application of borax @ 0.5% + ZnSO4 @ 0.25% consistently recorded superior performance, resulting in the highest fruit yield and improved quality attributes. Pasture yield and quality were not significantly influenced by micronutrient application to trees. Biomass carbon stock at the system level was enhanced under micronutrient treatments, indicating that targeted foliar nutrition is an effective strategy for improving productivity and carbon sequestration in mature Aonla-based horti-pastoral systems under semi-arid agro-climatic conditions.