Integrated Soil and Foliar Zinc Management Improves Yield Formation and Grain Productivity of Bread Wheat

Abstract

Evidence of the contribution of soil rate and foliar concentration and time to the formation of yield is needed to optimize zinc management. Wheat (Wadan-17) was used in a field experiment at The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan in 2021-2022. Three soil Zn rates (5, 10 and 15 kg ha^-1), three foliar Zn concentration (0.2, 0.4 and 0.6%) and two spray timings (booting and anthesis) were combined in 18 treatments, with an untreated control. The treatments were laid out in a randomized complete block design with 3 replications. Soil Zn, foliar Zn and timing had significant effect on spike-1 and thousand-grain weight, BY and grain yield of grains while the harvest index remained unaffected. Grain yield increased from 3180 kg ha^-1 at 5 kg soil Zn ha^-1 to 4164 kg ha^-1 at 15 kg ha^-1, from 3389 kg ha^-1 at 0.2% foliar Zn to 3904 kg ha^-1 at 0.6%, and from 3525 kg ha^-1 with anthesis spraying to 3803 kg ha^-1 with booting spraying. The average of treated plots was 3664 kg ha-1, and the control was 2136 kg ha-1. The maximum treatment combination mean of 4702 kg ha-1 was observed under 15 kg soil-Zn ha^-1 + 0.6 % foliar-Zn at booting. The interactions among the factors were not significant suggesting additivity of the yield responses. The yield advantage was due to higher grain number, grain weight, and spike density, and was not statistically detectable harvest index. The findings are confirmatory of using 15 kg soil Zn ha^-1 along with 0.6 % of foliar Zn at booting for optimum wheat yield under the above conditions.