Micronutrient seed priming improves stand establishment, grain yield and biofortification of bread wheat
Nauman Ali A B , Muhammad Farooq A C D E , Muhammad Ahmad Hassan A , Muhammad Shakeel Arshad A , Muhammad Kamran Saleem A and Muhammad Faran A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan.
B Agronomic Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
C Department of Crop Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, PO Box 34, Al-Khoud 123, Oman.
D The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6001, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: farooqcp@gmail.com
Crop and Pasture Science 69(5) 479-487 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP18042
Submitted: 7 February 2018 Accepted: 6 April 2018 Published: 14 May 2018
Abstract
Agronomic biofortification by seed treatments is a convenient way to harvest improved yields of micronutrient-enriched grains. This 2-year field study was conducted to evaluate the effects of seed priming with zinc (Zn), boron (B) and manganese (Mn) alone and in combinations on stand establishment, grain yield and biofortification of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Seeds of wheat cv. Faisalabad-2008 were soaked in aerated solutions of 0.5 m Zn, 0.01 m B and 0.1 m Mn, alone and in different combinations, for 12 h. Seed priming with the micronutrients was quite effective in improving stand establishment, yield-contributing traits, grain yield, and straw and grain micronutrient contents during both years. Best stand establishment was achieved from seed priming with Zn+B, followed by seed priming with Zn+Mn. Grain yield improvement from different seed priming treatments was in the order Zn+B > Zn+Mn > Zn > B > Mn > Zn+B+Mn, with respective increases of 34%, 33%, 21%, 19%, 18% and 8% relative to untreated seeds. Seed priming with Zn, B and Mn alone and in combinations also improved the contents of the respective micronutrients in straw and grain. All seed priming treatments were economically profitable except Zn+B+Mn, which was not cost-effective. The highest benefit : cost ratio accrued from seed priming with Zn+B. In conclusion, seed priming with micronutrients was generally cost-effective in meeting the crop micronutrient requirements, and in improving crop stand, grain yield and grain micronutrient contents in bread wheat. Seed priming with Zn+B was the most effective in this regard.
Additional keywords: boron, economics, manganese, productivity, osmopriming, zinc.
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