Investigating water use efficiency and wheat growth characteristics as influenced by soil and foliar application of Zargreen organic fertilizer under drought conditions

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associated Prof. Department of Range and Watershed Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Fasa University, Fasa, Iran

2 Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz

3 Innovation Center of Zarnam Educators Research Industrial Group, Alborz Province, Hashtgerd City Iran.

4 Innovation Center of Zarnam Educators Research Industrial Group, Alborz Province, Hashtgerd City Iran

Abstract

In order to evaluate the effects of soil and foliar applications of Zargrain organic fertilizer on water-use efficiency, yield and yield components of wheat under drought conditions, two separate factorial experiments (completely randomized design of three replications) were conducted in the greenhouse. Treatments in the first experiment were four levels of foliar application (zero, 2.5, 5 and 7.5 L/1000L) and three moisture levels (field capacity, 75 and 50% of field capacity(FC)) and in the second experiment four levels of soil application (zero, 5, 10 and 20 L/ha) and the mentioned moisture levels. Greenness index, number of claws, number and height of spike, number of seeds per spike, plant height, fresh and dry weights were measured and water-use efficiency was calculated. Both soil and foliar applications methods increased grain yield, plant dry weight, greenness index and water-use efficiency compared to control. Application of 20 L/ha caused a 13% increase in the number of spikes, and the application of 5 to 20 L/ha increased the number of seeds in spike by 22 to 31%, respectively. The number of seeds per spike increased by 7.5 L/1000L foliar application. The highest greenness index (38% increase in 0.75FC treatment) and water-use efficiency (0.55 g/L in 0.5FC condition) was observed with soil application of 20 L/ha fertilizer. Fertilizer application in dry conditions prevented dry-weight loss and soil application was more effective. Application of fertilizer increases the growth/performance of the plant and it can be used to improve the quantity/quality of the yield, especially in arid/semi-arid regions.

Keywords

Main Subjects


EXTENDED ABSTRACT

 

Introduction

Use of organic compounds has received increased attention in order to increase productivity in the agricultural sector, improve food quality, maintain the quality of soil and environment, and also as one of the methods of dealing with drought stress and reducing its negative effects. One of the organic compounds is organic fertilizers containing amino acids, which are suitable sources of nitrogen supply and are of plant growth regulators that can be used as soil and foliar application. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of soil and foliar application of Zargreen organic fertilizer on water-use efficiency, yield and yield components of wheat under drought stress conditions.

 

Material and Methods

Two separate Factorial experiments were conducted in completely randomized design with three replications in greenhouse conditions. Treatments in the first experiment included four levels of foliar application of Zargreen amino acid fertilizer (with concentrations of 0, 2.5, 5, and 7.5 L/1000L) and three moisture levels (field capacity (no stress), 75 and 50% of field capacity, FC). In the second experiment, there were four levels of soil application of Zargreen fertilizer (0, 5, 10, and 20 L/ha) and the mentioned three moisture levels. Soil treatments were used before planting, 2 and 4 months after planting and foliar applications were used out at 1.5, 3, and 4 months after planting. During the growing season, the amount of water consumed was measured. Two weeks after the last stage of foliar application, the greenness index and before harvesting the number of tillers, the number and height of the spike, number of seeds in the spike and the height of the plant, and after harvesting, the fresh and dry weight were measured and water-use efficiency was calculated. Data analysis was done using SPSS software and averages were compared with the Duncan's test at 5% probability level.

 

Results

Soil application of Zargreen fertilizer had a significant effect on the number of tiller, the number of spikes, number of seeds, greenness index, 1000-seed weight, harvest index, and water-use efficiency. Foliar application of the fertilizer also had a significant effect on the number of tiller, the number of spikes, the length of spikes, the number of seeds, plant height, greenness index, harvest index, and water-use efficiency. Drought stress had a significant effect on all studied attributes (except spike length in soil application test and greenness index and thousand seed weight in the foliar application test). The interaction effect of soil application of fertilizer and water stress on seed number, greenness index, 1000-seed weight, and harvest index and the interaction of foliar application and water stress on seed number, harvest index, and water-use efficiency were significant.

Both soil and foliar application of fertilizer increased seed yield, plant dry weight, greenness index, and water-use efficiency compared to that of the control (although some changes were not significant). Soil application of 20 L/ha of fertilizer caused a 13% increase in the number of spikes. Soil application of 5, 10, and 20 L/ha also caused significant increases of 22, 25, and 31% in the number of seeds per spike, respectively. Number of seeds per spike increased (16%) with 7.5 L/1000L foliar application of the fertilizer. The highest greenness index at all drought stress levels was obtained with 20 L/ha soil application of fertilizer and caused a 38% increase at the 0.75FC drought stress of. The highest water-use efficiency (0.55 g/L) was observed with soil application of 20 L/ha and in 0.5FC. Decrease in plant dry weight due to drought stress in the soil application treatments is significantly less than that of foliar application treatments. In general, application of the organic fertilizer at all drought stress levels prevented the decrease in dry weight.

 

Conclusion

The soil or foliar application of Zargreen organic fertilizer, which contains a lot of amino acids, increased water-use efficiency, number of tiller, number of spikes, number of grains per spike, and the amount of greenness index of wheat. It is probably due to the positive effects on the soil physical and chemical characteristics and improvement in water retention of soil, as well as supplying the required nutrients by the plant. Therefore, considering the positive effects of the studied fertilizer, it can be used to increase the quantity and quality of the product, especially in arid and semi-arid regions that facing drought stress. It is suggested to investigate the effect of other levels of the studied fertilizer on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of wheat and the other plants in the field conditions.

 

 

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