Response of Pearl millet to Potassium Fertilization

Pearl millet is one of the important millet crops of India. Rajasthan ranks first in area and production of pearl millet. Besides being a staple diet of approximately 10% population of our country, it is an important fodder crop also. It is the only cereal crop that is able to produce reliable yield under the marginal environments and simultaneously responds to excessive management conditions. Its nutritious grain forms the important component of human diet and stover forms the principal maintenance ration for ruminant livestock during the dry season. In addition, pearl millet grain is increasingly being used as feed for livestock and poultry. Abiotic stress is the common feature and deterrent to crop production especially in rainfed crops. Some agro-chemicals have proved effective to mitigate the environmental stresses. In this regard, thiourea plays a vital role in the physiology of plants both as sulphydral and an amino compound like urea. Thiourea is a nitrogen and sulphur containing compound with better water solubility and absorption potential and is known to impart tolerance against prevailing abiotic stress.