Response of Zinc in Medicinal Plants

摘要

Zinc is one of the essential micronutrients required for optimum crop growth and human nutrition. Deficiency of zinc is widespread among the crops grown in calcareous and highly weathered acid soils. The deficiencies in these calcareous soils are often associated with iron deficiency as well and this can be corrected by application of acid producing fertilisers or use of amendments like gypsum or foliar application of zinc. Liming of soil and addressing antagonistic effect of specific ions are the corrective measures in acid soil. Medicinal plant response to zinc reflects that growth, yield and quality could be improved either by foliar or soil application of zinc. Foliar application is more beneficial under saline, sodic and calcareous soils. Medicinal plants respond well with zinc sulphate or chelated zinc than the other fertilisers. Applications of zinc with other fertilisers, biofertilisers and manures have synergetic effect on medicinal plant and improve its use efficiency. Zinc nutrition also reduces the adverse effect of salinity and other abiotic stresses.