CLIAMS:1. A micronutrient composition for supplying essential nutrients and for promoting growth in cardamom plant, said micronutrient composition comprising:
• a potassium component in an amount ranging from 0.01% to 0.02%;
• a magnesium component in an amount ranging from 0.005% to 0.015%;
• a zinc component in an amount ranging from 0.020% to 0.044%;
• a boron component in an amount ranging from 0.01% to 0.03%; and
• a pH regulator in an amount ranging from 0.001% to 0.002%.

2. The micronutrient composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the concentration of the potassium component and the magnesium component is in the ratio of 0.66 to 4.0, when dissolved in water.

3. The micronutrient composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the potassium component is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of potassium sulphate, sulphate of potash and potassium chloride, preferably sulphate of potash in an amount ranging from 0.01% to 0.02%.

4. The micronutrient composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnesium component is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of magnesium sulphate, magnesium chloride and magnesium carbonate, preferably magnesium sulphate, in an amount ranging from 0.005% to 0.015%.

5. The micronutrient composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein concentration of the zinc component and the boron component is in the ratio of 0.66:4.4, when dissolved in water.

6. The micronutrient composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein zinc component is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of zinc sulphate, zinc oxide, zinc carbonate, zinc EDTA and zinc DTPA, preferably zinc sulphate in an amount ranging from 0.02% to 0.044%.

7. The micronutrient composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the boron component is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of sodium borate and boric acid, preferably boric acid, in an amount ranging from 0.01% to 0.03%.

8. The micronutrient composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pH regulator is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide and sodium bicarbonate, preferably sodium bicarbonate in an amount ranging from 0.001% to 0.002%.

9. The micronutrient composition as claimed in claims 1 to 8 characterised by a water solubility of about 95% to about 100%.

10. A process for preparing the micronutrient composition as claimed in any of the preceding claims, said process comprising the following steps:
• mixing a potassium component and a magnesium component to obtain a first mixture;
• adding a zinc component and a boron component to the first mixture; mixing thoroughly to obtain a second mixture;
• adding a pH regulator to the second mixture to obtain a micronutrient composition with a pH below 7; and
• stabilizing the micronutrient composition by storing it at a humidity of 50% to 60% and a temperature ranging between 27 °C and 32°C.

11. A process for applying the micronutrient composition, as claimed in any of the preceding claims, to the cardamom plant, said process comprising the following steps:
• dissolving the micronutrient composition in water to obtain a solution;
• filtering the solution to obtain a filtrate;
• diluting the filtrate in water in the ratio of 1:200 to obtain a diluted micronutrient composition;
• maintaining the pH of the diluted micronutrient composition in the range of 5.5 to 6.5; and
• applying the diluted micronutrient composition to the cardamom plant.

12. A micronutrient composition kit comprising:
• component A comprising:
a. a potassium component;
b. a magnesium component;
c. a zinc component;
d. a boron component; and
e. a pH regulator; and
• component B comprising at least one packaging material. ,TagSPECI:FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
The present disclosure relates to a micronutrient composition for promoting the growth, yield and quality of cardamom plants. The present disclosure also relates to a process for preparing the micronutrient composition.

BACKGROUND
Plants form a major part of our economy. The importance of plants to the economy can hardly be overstated.

Plants require a balance of all the essential nutrient elements in sufficient quantities for their optimum growth and development. These nutrient elements comprise of macronutrient elements, which the plants need in greater quantities such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and magnesium and micronutrient elements, which the plants need in smaller quantities such as boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, zinc, chlorine, cobalt, sodium, and combinations thereof.

Many soils may either lack sufficient quantities of these essential nutrients, if not replenished periodically or may contain them in such forms which cannot be readily taken up by the plants, thereby causing deficiency of these nutrients in plants. This consequently causes a deterioration of plant growth and a reduction in the yield and the quality of the plants. The lack of even a single essential nutrient may lead to poor growth, deficiency symptoms and a drastic reduction in the crop yield, even though such a nutrient may be required only in extremely small quantities. The nutrient in sub-optimum quantities may become a limiting factor and may lead to retarded development of the plant.

Cardamom refers to several plants of the genera Elettaria and Amomum of the family Zingiberaceae, both the genera are native to India. Cardamom, known as queen of spices, is the dried ripe fruit derived from the capsule of the cardamom plant. It has a very pleasant aroma and taste. Cardamom is commonly used as a flavoring agent, both, in whole and ground form. Cardamom oil is used in liquors, perfumery and ayurvedic medicines.

Cardamom is a perennial, herbaceous, rhizomatous herb with subterranean rhizomes and numerous aerial leafy shoots. Each shoot grows to a height of 1.7 to 2.6 meters with 10 or more leaves in each tiller. The leaves are glabrous on both sides with a prominent mid-rib. Inflorescence is a condensed spike with yellowish perianth. Each spike has 10-15 round or oval shaped fruits with a reddish brown capsule. Each capsule is trilocular with many seeds. Cardamom is characterized by its small spindle shaped seed pod which is triangular in cross-section with a thin papery outer shell and small black seeds. Elettaria pods are light green while Amomum pods are dark brown in colour. There are three natural varieties of cardamom, based on the nature of panicles; Malabar with prostrate panicle, Mysore with erect panicle and Vazhukka with semi erect panicle.

Cardamom is cultivated mostly in the ever green forests of the Western Ghats in South India. Besides India, cardamom is grown as a commercial crop in Guatemala and on a small scale in Tanzania, Sri Lanka, El Salvador, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Honduras, and Papua & New Guinea. Elettaria, commonly known as cardamom, green cardamom or true cardamom, is distributed from India to Malaysia. Amomum, commonly known as black cardamom is distributed mainly in Asia and Australia. Today, Guatemala is the largest producer and exporter of cardamom in the world, followed by India.

Cardamom prefers an altitude range of 800 to 2000 meters above MSL (mean sea level), with an average precipitation of 3000-3500 mm spread over about 200 days and a temperature ranging from 6 to 30°C. Cardamom grows well in soils with acidic to near neutral pH ranging from 5.5 to 6.5. The factors which affect the productivity of cardamom in India are as follows:
• low pH of the soil;
• low base saturation;
• low status of organic carbon, K, Ca, Mg and Zn; and
• leaching of applied nutrients and bases in moist humid tropics.

The soils in which cardamom is grown have low Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) and are generally deficient in available phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc and boron. Excess and long term use of Nitrogen & Phosphorus fertilizers (which are generally free from micronutrients) in the soil, without soil amelioration, results in an imbalance of other nutrients and creates wide spread deficiencies of secondary nutrients and micronutrients especially magnesium, boron and zinc in major cardamom growing soils.

In addition to the above, some of the important nutrients present in the soil like phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and molybdenum, which are required for proper growth of cardamom plant, are unavailable to the plant due to fixation or formation of insoluble reaction components. In high pH soils, deficiency of nutrients such as iron and manganese is a limiting factor. Therefore, lowering the pH of the soil may increase the availability of micronutrients such as iron, manganese and copper to the plant. Further, liming may be done to bring the pH of the soil to near neutral, which increases the availability of some nutrients such as phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and molybdenum to the plant. However, liming may limit the availability of micronutrients to the plant due to formation of insoluble products.

In order to compensate for the lack of available nutrients in soils and to overcome the nutrient deficiency in plants, an external supplementation of these deficient nutrients is commonly applied to soils to improve the plant growth and yields. Generally, an excess of fertilizers containing these nutrients are applied to the soil. However, this may cause an imbalance of nutrients. Foliar sprays have been used in the state of the art to provide nutrients to the plants but these sprays are expensive, thus leading to high cost of cultivation. Further, the excess quantity of applied nutrients may leach out and contaminate the groundwater or the surface water.

A micronutrient composition should have the following essential features for providing optimum plant growth & to overcome the nutrient deficiency in the plants:
• The micronutrient composition should be a combination of a number of essential micronutrients, particularly those micronutrients which are not readily available to the plant from the soil.
• The micronutrient composition should be plant specific and should be able to cater to the nutrient deficiencies of a specific plant.
• The micronutrient composition should be in soluble form which is usable by the plant.
• The application of the micronutrient composition should be in such a way so as to enable maximum absorption of micronutrients by the plant.
• The micronutrient composition should be able to cater to the nutrient deficiencies of the plant depending upon the growth cycle of the plant.
• The micronutrient composition should be compatible with the standard fertilizers and should be relatively inexpensive.
• The micronutrient composition should be stable and easy to store.

The currently available foliar nutrient mixtures contain different combinations of macronutrients, micronutrients and humic acid or fulvic acid. Most of these mixtures are not crop specific and may be used for general purpose only. Standard macronutrient fertilizers in the state of the art such as nitrogenous fertilizers or N-P-K fertilizers, often lack a number of essential micronutrients required by the plant. There is no nutrient composition available in the state of the art which overcomes nutrient deficiencies of cardamom at different growth stages and promotes growth and yield of the plant.

EXISTING KNOWLEDGE
Various attempts have been made by the scientific community to combat the deficiency of secondary nutrients and micronutrients that are essential for optimum yield and quality of the plants. A research has revealed that the application of micronutrients like zinc as foliar supplementation has a positive correlation with the yield and quality of the plants.

Kumar et al. in 2000 showed that the application of boron at 20 kg ha-1 and molybdenum at 0.25 kg ha-1 independently or in combination increases the capsule yield in the plants.

Hamza et al. in 2009 showed that the major limiting nutrients for cardamom are zinc, potassium, phosphorus and calcium followed by magnesium, copper and molybdenum and the least are iron, manganese and sodium.

Some representative patent documents that disclose the use of nutrient compositions for promoting plant growth are discussed herein below:

WIPO Patent Application No WO/1991/009818 discloses a micronutrient fertilizer composition comprising the salts of at least two metals selected from the group consisting of Cu, Mn, Zn, Co and Mo as well as at least one water-soluble nitrate which may be applied to the crops or soil.

WIPO Patent Application No WO/2004/085343 discloses a plant growth composition comprising a nitrogen-micronutrient component and one or more components selected from the group consisting of: a Ca/P component, a K/SO4 component, a K/Mg/SO4 component, a non-protein nitrogen source and calcium carbonate.

United States Patent Application No 20110214465 discloses a fertilizer composition including a base fertilizer granule with a barrier coating and one or more micronutrients.

Various nutrient compositions for promoting plant growth are disclosed in the prior art documents, however, these conventional compositions are associated with the following drawbacks:
• Conventional nutrient compositions are general and not specific for cardamom, therefore they do not counter the specific requirement of the plant at different growth stages.
• Conventional nutrient compositions in liquid forms contain a large amount of diluents, making their handling, packaging and shipping, difficult and expensive.
• Conventional nutrient compositions in liquid forms may sometimes cause precipitation.
• Some conventional nutrient compositions may use complex forming or chelating agents to prevent precipitation, which inhibit nutrients uptake by the plant and also involve high costs.

Therefore, there is a need to replace the conventional nutrient compositions with a micronutrient composition which is focused to counter the nutrient deficiencies of cardamom plant by providing essential nutrients specifically required by the plant, thereby promoting its growth, yield and quality.

OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the disclosure are as follows:

It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a micronutrient composition which is highly effective in supplying essential nutrients and in promoting growth, yield and quality of cardamom.

It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a micronutrient composition in soluble form to enable maximum absorption of micronutrients by cardamom.

It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a micronutrient composition which is easy to apply and non-toxic to cardamom.

It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a micronutrient composition which is cost-effective and environment friendly.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a micronutrient composition which is stable and easy to store.

It is still another object of the present disclosure to provide a micronutrient composition which is compatible with standard fertilizers to promote the growth, yield and quality of cardamom.

It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a simple and an economic process for preparing a micronutrient composition.

SUMMARY
These and other objects of the disclosure are to a great extent dealt with in the disclosure disclosed herein after:
In accordance with the present disclosure, there is provided a micronutrient composition for supplying essential nutrients and for promoting growth in cardamom plants, said micronutrient composition comprising:
• a potassium component in an amount ranging from 0.01% to 0.02%;
• a magnesium component in an amount ranging from 0.005% to 0.015%;
• a zinc component in an amount ranging from 0.020% to 0.044%;
• a boron component in an amount ranging from 0.01% to 0.03%; and
• a pH regulator in an amount ranging from 0.001% to 0.002%.

Typically, the concentration of the potassium component and the magnesium component is in the ratio of 0.66: 4.0, when dissolved in water.

Typically, the potassium component is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of potassium sulphate, sulphate of potash (natural deposit) and potassium chloride, preferably sulphate of potash.
Typically, the magnesium component is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of magnesium sulphate, magnesium chloride and magnesium carbonate, preferably magnesium sulphate.
Typically, the concentration of the zinc component and the boron component is in the ratio of 0.66: 4.4, when dissolved in water.

Typically, the zinc component is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of zinc sulphate, zinc oxide, zinc carbonate, zinc EDTA (Ethylenediamine Tetraaceticacid) and zinc DTPA (Diethylentriamene pentaacetate), preferably zinc sulphate.

Typically, the boron component is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of sodium borate (borax) and boric acid, preferably boric acid.

Typically, the pH regulator is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide and sodium bicarbonate, preferably sodium bicarbonate.

Typically, the micronutrient composition is maintained at a pH ranging from 5.5 to 6.5.

Typically, the micronutrient composition is in the form of a solution, preferably a spray solution.

Typically, the micronutrient composition has a water solubility of about 95% to about 100%.

Typically, the micronutrient composition is applied to cardamom plants grown in soil with pH<7.

The micronutrient composition of the present disclosure avoids the formation of insoluble precipitates during storage and has storage stability for a period of one year.

The micronutrient composition of the present disclosure is also compatible with standard fertilizers and avoids the formation of insoluble precipitates on mixing with the standard common or complex fertilizers.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a process for preparing a micronutrient composition, said process comprising the following steps:
• mixing a potassium component and a magnesium component to obtain a first mixture;
• adding a zinc component and a boron component to the first mixture; mixing thoroughly to obtain a second mixture;
• adding a pH regulator to the second mixture to obtain a micronutrient composition with a pH below 7; and
• stabilizing the micronutrient composition by storing at a humidity of 50% to 60% and at a temperature ranging between 27°C and 32°C.

Typically, the potassium component and the magnesium component are mixed in the ratio of 0.13 to 0.8 by weight.

Typically, the potassium component is sulphate of potash in an amount ranging from 4% to 8% by weight in the composition.

Typically, the magnesium component is magnesium sulphate in an amount ranging from 10% to 30% by weight in the composition.

Typically, the zinc component and the boron component are added in the ratio of 0.6:3.6 by weight.

Typically, the zinc component is zinc sulphate in an amount ranging from 18% to 40% by weight in the composition.

Typically, the boron component is boric acid in an amount ranging from 11% to 30% by weight in the composition.

Typically, all the components are mixed at a humidity of 50% to 60% and at a temperature range of 27°C to 32°C.
Typically, the pH regulator is sodium bicarbonate in an amount ranging from 1% to 2% by weight in the composition.

Typically, the micronutrient composition is stored under dry conditions in a non-hygroscopic material.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a process for applying the micronutrient composition to the cardamom plant, said process comprising the following steps:
• dissolving the micronutrient composition in water to obtain a solution;
• filtering the solution to obtain a filtrate;
• diluting the filtrate in water in the ratio of 1:200 to obtain a diluted micronutrient composition;
• maintaining the pH of the diluted micronutrient composition in the range of 5.5 to 6.5; and
• applying the diluted micronutrient composition to the cardamom plant.

Typically, diluted micronutrient composition is applied as a foliar spray to the leaves of the cardamom plant.

Typically, the micronutrient composition is sprayed once or twice annually, during specific stages of crop development, preferably starting from the flowering stage to the capsule formation stage of crop development.
In accordance with the present disclosure, the micronutrient composition may be further mixed with standard fertilizers before applying to the cardamom plants.

In accordance with the present disclosure, the micronutrient composition supplies essential nutrients comprising, potassium, magnesium, zinc and boron, each in an amount ranging from 100 mg-400 mg per litre to the plant.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a micronutrient composition kit comprising:
• component A comprising: a) a potassium component; b) a magnesium component;
c) a zinc component; d) a boron component; and e) a pH regulator; and
• component B comprising at least one packaging material.

Typically, the packaging material is made of non-hygroscopic material.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:
The nutrient compositions disclosed in the prior art documents suffer from various drawbacks such as these compositions are general and therefore do not counter the specific requirement of the cardamom crop at different growth stages. Further, the liquid forms of the conventional compositions contain large amounts of diluents, making their handling, packaging and shipping difficult and expensive. Still further, the use of complex forming or chelating agents in the conventional compositions to prevent precipitation, inhibits nutrients uptake by the plants and also involves high costs. In addition to the above, most of these compositions are not stable and therefore, may not be stored for a long duration.

In view of the aforesaid drawbacks, the inventors of the present disclosure envisaged a micronutrient composition comprising the essential nutrients in a particular proportion, specifically required for optimum growth of cardamom. The micronutrient composition of the present disclosure is adapted to fulfill specific nutrient requirements of cardamom and capable of supplying cardamom with these essential nutrients, which are usually deficient in cardamom growing soils. The inventors of the present disclosure further developed a process for preparing the micronutrient composition.

The inventors found that the micronutrient composition is highly effective in supplying essential nutrients to the cardamom plant and is highly stable for prolonged periods of time of up to one year, thereby improving the growth, yield and quality of cardamom plants.

The micronutrient composition developed in accordance with the present disclosure contains the following ingredients namely: a potassium component; a magnesium component; a zinc component; a boron component and a pH regulator.

The potassium component used in the micronutrient composition of the present disclosure includes, but is not limited to potassium sulphate, sulphate of potash (natural deposit) and potassium chloride, preferably sulphate of potash. The potassium component used in the micronutrient composition of the present disclosure is about 0.01% to 0.02%.

The magnesium component used in the micronutrient composition of the present disclosure includes, but is not limited to magnesium sulphate, magnesium chloride and magnesium carbonate, preferably magnesium sulphate. The magnesium component used in the micronutrient composition of the present disclosure is about 0.005% to 0.015%.

The concentration of the potassium component and the magnesium component is in the ratio of 0.66:4.0, when dissolved in water.

The zinc component used in the micronutrient composition of the present disclosure includes, but is not limited to zinc sulphate, zinc oxide, zinc carbonate, zinc EDTA (Ethylenediamine Tetraaceticacid) and zinc DTPA (Diethylentriamene pentaacetate), preferably zinc sulphate. The zinc component used in the micronutrient composition of the present disclosure is about 0.020% to 0.044%.

The boron component used in the micronutrient composition of the present disclosure includes, but is not limited to sodium borate (borax) and boric acid, preferably boric acid. The boron component used in the micronutrient composition of the present disclosure is about 0.01% to 0.03%.

The concentration of the zinc component and the boron component is in the ratio of 0.66:4.4, when dissolved in water.
The pH regulator used in the micronutrient composition of the present disclosure includes, but is not limited to calcium carbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide and sodium bicarbonate, preferably sodium bicarbonate. The pH regulator used in the micronutrient composition of the present disclosure is about 0.001% to 0.002%. The micronutrient composition is maintained at a pH ranging from 5.5 to 6.5. The micronutrient composition is in the form of a solution, preferably a spray solution. The micronutrient composition of the present disclosure has a water solubility of about 95% to about 100%. The micronutrient composition of the present disclosure is applied to cardamom plants grown in soil with pH<7.

The micronutrient composition of the present disclosure avoids formation of insoluble precipitates during storage and has storage stability for a period of one year. The micronutrient composition is also compatible with standard fertilizers and avoids the formation of insoluble precipitates on mixing with standard simple or complex fertilizers. The micronutrient composition is easy to apply, non-toxic to cardamom and cost-effective. The micronutrient composition of the present disclosure is capable of effectively supplying cardamom with essential nutrients thereby promoting the growth, yield and quality of cardamom.

The inventors of the present disclosure further developed a process for preparing the micronutrient composition as described herein below.

In the first step, the potassium component is thoroughly mixed with the magnesium component to obtain a first mixture. The potassium component and the magnesium component are mixed in the ratio of 0.13:0.8 by weight. The potassium component is sulphate of potash in an amount ranging from 4% to 8% by weight of the composition. The magnesium component is magnesium sulphate in an amount ranging from 10% to 30% by weight of the composition.

Then, the zinc component and the boron component are added to the first mixture and mixed thoroughly to obtain a second mixture. The zinc component and the boron component are added in the ratio of 0.6:3.6 by weight. The zinc component is zinc sulphate in an amount ranging from 18% to 40% by weight of the composition. The boron component is boric acid in an amount ranging from 11% to 30% by weight of the composition. In accordance with the process of the present disclosure, all the components are mixed at a humidity of 50% to 60% and at a temperature range of 27°C to 32°C.

In the next step, a pH regulator is added to the second mixture to obtain the micronutrient composition with a pH below 7. The pH regulator is sodium bicarbonate in an amount ranging from 1% to 2% by weight of the composition.
In the final step, the micronutrient composition is stabilized by storing at a humidity of 50% to 60 % and at a temperature ranging between 27°C to 32°C. In accordance with the process of the present disclosure, the micronutrient composition is stored under dry conditions in a non-hygroscopic material.

The inventors of the present disclosure further developed a process for applying the micronutrient composition to the cardamom plant as described herein below.

In the first step, the micronutrient composition is dissolved in water to obtain a solution.

In the next step, the solution is filtered to obtain a filtrate.

After that, the filtrate is diluted in water in the ratio of 1:200 to obtain a diluted micronutrient composition. The diluted micronutrient composition in accordance with the present disclosure contains about 190 gm-200 gm of nutrient concentrate per 200 litres of water.

In the next step, pH of the diluted micronutrient composition is maintained in the range of 5.5 to 6.5. The diluted micronutrient composition in accordance with the present disclosure is completely clear or greenish in colour with no turbidity even after 12 hours of storage at room temperature.

Finally, the diluted micronutrient composition is applied to the cardamom plant. In accordance with the present disclosure, the diluted micronutrient composition is applied as a foliar spray to the leaves of cardamom plant.

The micronutrient composition in accordance with the process of the present disclosure may be mixed with standard fertilizers which include but are not limited to nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium simple or complex fertilizers. The micronutrient composition in accordance with the process of the present disclosure is sprayed once or twice annually, during specific stages of crop development, preferably starting from the flowering stage to the capsule formation stage of crop development. The micronutrient composition in accordance with the process of the present disclosure provides the essential nutrients comprising potassium, magnesium, zinc and boron, each in an amount ranging from 100 mg-400 mg per litre to the cardamom plant.
The inventors of the present disclosure still further developed a micronutrient composition kit containing two components namely, component A and component B.

The component A in the micronutrient composition kit includes: a potassium component; a magnesium component; a zinc component; a boron component; and a pH regulator.

The component B in the micronutrient composition kit includes at least one packaging material. The packaging material is made of non-hygroscopic materials.

The present disclosure is further described in the light of the following examples which are set forth for illustration purpose only and are not to be construed for limiting the scope of the disclosure.

Example-1: Composition of the micronutrient composition:
The micronutrient composition is described in Table No. 1.

The micronutrient composition comprising the following components was prepared.

Table No. 1- Micronutrient Composition

COMPONENTS AMOUNT
(in grams/kg)

Potassium component

Sulphate of potash 50-150

Magnesium component

Magnesium sulphate

100-300

Zinc component

Zinc sulphate
180-400

Boron component
Boric acid
110-300

pH regulator

Sodium bicarbonate
10-20
pH of the Composition
5.5-6.5
Total 1000

Example-2: Comparison of the effect of the micronutrient composition of the present disclosure and standard fertilizers on the yield of cardamom plants –

Experiments were conducted in the farmer’s plots at Madikeri to analyze the effect of micronutrient composition of the present disclosure on the yield of cardamom plants.

The micronutrient composition (in Example-1) was applied as a foliar spray in varying amounts during the flowering stage to the capsule formation stage, to the cardamom plants (N= 18 plants) grown in forest loam soil. The micronutrient composition was applied as a foliar spray to the cardamom plants in amounts of 5.0 g per liter of water.

The micronutrient composition was also applied in combination with standard fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to the cardamom plants (N= 18 plants).

The cardamom plants fertilized with the standard fertilizers but without the micronutrient composition served as control (N= 18 plants).

The results are provided in Table No. 2

Table No. 2: Analysis of the effect of the micronutrient composition of the present disclosure and standard fertilizers on the yield of cardamom plants-

S NO YIELD OF CARDAMOM PLANTS
(kg/ha)

Control Plants applied with Standard Fertilizers
(Total=18) Average of 6 plants (N= 6) 884
Average of 6 plants (N= 6) 757
Average of 6 plants (N= 6) 753
Cardamom plants applied with
Micronutrient composition + Standard fertilizers
(Total=18) Average of 6 plants (N= 6) 889
Average of 6 plants (N= 6) 900
Average of 6 plants (N= 6) 851
% Yield increase with Micronutrient composition of the present disclosure
10.3%

- Total means Total Number of Cardamom plants applied;
- N means average of 6 plants each;
- Each amount is an average of the results obtained for (N =6) Cardamom plants in each category.
- Yield is projected kg per hectare (1110 plants per ha) based on the average yield of six cardamom plants.
- % yield increase is expressed as an increase in the yield of Plants applied with Micronutrient composition + Standard
Fertilizers as compared to the yield of control plants.

Conclusion:
It was observed that the foliar application of micronutrient composition of the present disclosure in an amount of 5.0 g per liter of water along with standard fertilizers resulted in 10.3 % increase in the yield of cardamom plants as compared to control plants. This shows that the micronutrient composition of the present disclosure works effectively in increasing the yield of cardamom plants. This also shows that the micronutrient composition of the present disclosure is compatible with standard fertilizers and works effectively with the standard fertilizers.

ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE AND TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENT:

There are a number of advantages of the micronutrient composition of the present disclosure over conventional fertilizers/methods, which include:

• The Micronutrient composition of the present disclosure is adapted to the specific nutrient needs of cardamom plants.
• The Micronutrient composition of the present disclosure is effective in improving the growth, quality and yield of cardamom plants.
• The Micronutrient composition of the present disclosure is water soluble and compatible with simple or complex standard fertilizers, avoiding formation of insoluble precipitates on mixing with standard common or complex fertilizers.
• The Micronutrient composition of the present disclosure is in a soluble form which is usable by cardamom plants so as to ensure maximum absorption by the plants.
• The Micronutrient composition of the present disclosure is a stable composition and can be stored for a period of up to one year or one crop season.
• The Micronutrient composition of the present disclosure works effectively when applied as a foliar spray two times a year.
• The Micronutrient composition of the present disclosure is cost-effective and can be easily transported.
• The Micronutrient composition of the present disclosure is easy to apply, environment friendly and non-toxic to cardamom plants.

Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the invention to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.
While certain embodiments of the inventions have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Variations or modifications to the composition/formulation of this invention, within the scope of the invention, may occur to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the disclosure herein. Such variations or modifications are well within the spirit of this invention. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the invention.

The numerical values given for various physical parameters, dimensions and quantities are only approximate values and it is envisaged that the values higher than the numerical value assigned to the physical parameters, dimensions and quantities fall within the scope of the invention and the claims unless there is a statement in the specification to the contrary.