Yield, zinc efficiencies and biofortification of wheat with zinc sulfate application in soil and foliar nanozinc fertilisation
Arshad Jalal A , Fernando Shintate Galindo B , Leandro Alves Freitas A , Carlos Eduardo da Silva Oliveira A , Bruno Horschut de Lima A , Íngrid Torres Pereira A , Graziela Franceschini Ferraz A , Jeferson Silva de Souza A , Kaway Nunes da Costa A , Thiago Assis Rodrigues Nogueira
A and Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira Filho A *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Plant Protection, Rural Engineering and Soils (DEFERS), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Postal Code 15385-000, Ilha Solteira, SP, Brazil.
B Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture (CENA), University of São Paulo (USP), Postal Code 13416-000, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.
Crop & Pasture Science - https://doi.org/10.1071/CP21458
Submitted: 28 June 2021 Accepted: 2 December 2021 Published online: 25 May 2022
© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing
Abstract
Context: Agronomic biofortification of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with zinc (Zn) is an effective approach to increase grain Zn concentration and productivity and alleviate Zn malnutrition in humans. Foliar Zn application is an alternative strategy to endorse soil Zn deficiency with better grain Zn partitioning.
Aims: This study aimed to better understand dose management of soil and foliar Zn application in wheat for biofortification.
Methods: The objectives was to evaluate the effect of foliar applied nano Zn doses (0, 0.75, 1.5, 3 and 6 kg/ha (zinc oxide, ZnO) 50% at tillering and 50% at grain filling in combination) with soil Zn application (0 and 8 kg/ha, as zinc sulfate) on growth, nutrition, Zn use efficiencies, intake and yield biofortification of wheat in 2019 and 2020 under Brazilian savanna.
Key results: Combined foliar and soil Zn application increased shoot and grains Zn concentration and accumulation with greater dry matter (9.8 and 10.6%) and grain yield (9.8 and 11%) of wheat as compared to control in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Zinc use efficiency (ZnUE), Zn utilisation efficiency and applied Zn recovery improved with soil Zn application and 2.5 kg/ha foliar nano Zn, but decreased with further increase in foliar Zn application. Zn sulfate stood out for increasing crop productivity while foliar spray with nano Zn for better grains biofortification of wheat.
Conclusions: Soil Zn application along with 3 kg/ha of foliar nano Zn increased plant and grains Zn concentration and accumulation, dry matter, grain yield, Zn partitioning index and Zn intake in wheat in tropical conditions of Brazil.
Implications: The combined application of soil and foliar Zn in harsh tropical savannah condition could better improve Zn nutrition, crop growth, and productivity with better Zn biofortification and intake of wheat.
Keywords: agronomic biofortification, foliar zinc, grain yield, soil zinc, wheat, zinc concentration, zinc uptake, zinc use efficiency.
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