The role of genotypes on phosphorus, zinc, manganese and iron status and their relations in leaves of maize on hydromorphic soil

Abstract

Hydromorphy is a major soil fertility constraint in Europe and North America causing specific nutritional imbalance in soils and crops. The objectives of this study were to examine the differences among maize hybrids in phosphorus (P), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) status in leaves, and to investigate the interrelationship among these micronutrients as well as the interrelationship between Zn and P on hydromorphic soil in Eastern Croatia. Twenty maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids were grown under field conditions of Eastern Croatia in a period of two years. Considerable differences in mean ear-leaf Zn, Mn and Fe contents at silking stage were found ranging from 16.3 to 30.0 mg/kg for Zn, from 28.5 to 62.2 mg/kg for Mn and from 137 to 222 mg/kg for Fe content. Mean ratios among nutrients were at acceptable levels: 146 (P:Zn), 7.6 (Fe:Zn) and 3.72 (Fe:Mn). Differences among the hybrids ranged from 95.1 to 210.4 (P:Zn), from 5.3 to 10.4 (Fe:Zn) and from 2.4 to 5.79 (Fe:Mn). Maize hybrids which have higher P:Zn is less acceptable for growing on soils which are either rich in P or moderate in available Zn. Highly significant correlation coefficients between years for mineral content (0.696 for Zn, 0.586 for Mn and 0.525 for Fe) indicated high repeatability estimates within genotypes across the seasons and importance of heredity for nutritional status.

Keywords

• maize hybrids
• phosphorus
• zinc
• manganese
• iron
• hydromorphic soil