Comprehensive Study on Foliar Application of Zn (Fortification) on Growth, Yield and Zinc Content in Wheat

Abstract

ThisexperimentwasconductedatLatifAgricultureFarm,Tandojam,DistrictHyderabadduringRabiseason 2020-2021toassesstheeffectsofzincappliedintheformoffoliaronwheatyieldandgrowthcharacteristics, employingarandomizedcompleteblockdesign(RCBD).Zincwassprayedinvariousconcentrations(0,0.10%,0.30%, and 0.50%) on leaves at different growth stages. Results revealed that the foliar zinc application along with NPK recommendeddosessignificantlyraisedtheplantheight(73.46and85.63)at90daysandharvesttimeonT4relativeto thecontrol(59.32and73.24),respectively.Thenumberofgrainsperspikeshowedaconsistentrisewithincreasingzinc application, with T4and T3displaying significantly higher grain numbers (26.89) than the control. The thousand grain weightsignificantly increased and the highest was observed at T4compared to the control and other treatments. Moreover, grain yield significantly increased in T4, recording the highest yield compared to the control and other treatments. Zinc concentration in grains displayed a significant rise with increasing zinc application, notably higher in T4than other treatments. Zinc application also increased zinc content in wheat straw, with T4exhibiting the highest (29.55μgg-1)zinc contentcomparedtothecontrolandothertreatments.Overall, the findingsdemonstrate thepositive impactoffoliarapplicationofzinconvariousgrowthstagesofwheat,emphasizingitspotentialinenhancinggrainyield and quality. This study advocates for the implementation of foliar application of zinc strategies to fortify wheat crops, thus contributing to agricultural practices aimed at increasing productivity and nutrient enrichment.

Keywords

• znfortification
• foliarspray
• zinccontent