PJB-2024-461
ZINC APPLICATION METHODS INFLUENCED MAIZE GROWTH, YIELD, AND ZINC CONCENTRATION UNDER FIELD CONDITION
HAFIZ MUHAMMAD ALI RAZA
Abstract
Improving zinc (Zn) concentration in cereals is becoming challenging due to the high incidence of Zn deficiency in human populations. Sole and combined Zn applications with soil, fertigation, and foliar application methods were analyzed for hybrid maize growth, yield, and Zn concentration. For this purpose, a field experiment was conducted at the research farm of the Soil Science Department, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan. The experiment consisted of eight treatments, i.e., control (C), 16 kg ha−1 Zn through soil application (S), 16 kg ha−1 Zn through fertigation (FR), 16 kg ha−1 Zn through foliar application (FA), 8 kg ha−1 soil application + 8 kg ha−1 fertigation (S+FR), 8 kg ha−1 Zn through soil application + 8 kg ha−1 Zn through foliar application (S+FA), 8 kg ha−1 Zn through fertigation + 8 kg ha−1 Zn through foliar application (FR+FA) and 8 kg ha−1 Zn through soil application + 8 kg Zn ha−1 through fertigation + 8 kg ha−1 Zn through foliar application (S+FR+FA). As compared to all the treatments, S+FR+FA resulted in an overall maximum chlorophyll content (95.6%), stomatal conductance (92.8%), and internal CO2 concentration (46.7%) over the C treatment. Treatment FA showed 77.7% and 56.4% better photosynthetic and transpiration rates over C treatment. Compared to C treatment, FA resulted in 40.5, 31.7, and 69.6% improvement in shoot fresh weight, plant height, and cob length, respectively. Treatment FA resulted in 40.1, 66.7 and 32.0% improvement in grain yield, straw yield, and 1000-grain weight, respectively, over C. Treatments FR+FA resulted in an overall maximum grain Zn concentration (38.8 mg kg−1). Regarding shoot Zn concentration, treatment FA resulted in an overall maximum increase (2.16-fold) over C treatment. In conclusion, FA and S+FR+FA responded better than other sole and combined Zn application methods to improve maize growth, physiology, straw and grain Zn concentration, and yield. However, compared to S+FR+FA, 8 kg less dose of Zn was used in the treatment FA to get maximum statistical response; thus, 16 kg Zn through foliar application is recommended better than all other, sole or combined Zn application methods.
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