Yield enhancement and grain vis-a-vis malt quality of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes as influenced by clipping and foliar application of zinc

Barley is mostly grown under rainfed condition on poor to marginal soils having deficit soil moisture and zinc (Zn) deficiency, which limits the barley productivity and grain quality. Zn spray could improve the productivity and grain quality in these soils. Therefore, this two-year field study was conducted to assess the influence of barley genotypes and clipping stages vis-a-vis Zn foliar application in barley productivity and grain quality. The experiment consisted of three barley genotypes; DWRUB 52, PL 807, and PL 426 and five clipping management; control, clipping at 50 d after sowing (DAS), clipping at 60 DAS, clipping at 50 DAS and ZnSO4 foliar spray @ 0.5% at anthesis + early milk stages and clipping at 60 DAS and ZnSO4 foliar spray @ 0.5% at anthesis + early milk stages. Barley genotype PL 426 showed in maximum lodging, protein content and yield, grain hardness, and husk content, while, DWRUB 52 gave the highest grain yield, Zn content, starch content, hectoliter weight, and bold grain proportions. Foliar spray of ZnSO4 @ 0.5% at anthesis + early milk stages significantly enhanced the grain yield of 12.5 and 12.7% with clipping at 50 DAS and 9.0 and 8.8% with clipping to 60 DAS than control crop during the first and second year, respectively. Zn content, protein content and yield, bold grains, and diastatic power were significantly improved over control with these treatments. Zn foliar application in combination with clipping may be opted to maximize the barley productivity, Zn concentration, and grains quality.