EFFECT OF FOLIAR APPLICATION OF ZINC ON THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF WHEAT

Abstract

The experiment was conducted during the period from November 2014 to March 2015 in rabi season at the experimental field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka to find out the effect of foliar application of zinc on the growth and development of wheat. The seeds of wheat variety ‘BARI Gom 26’ were used as test crop. The experiment comprised of the following treatments- T : Control (no zinc fertilizer), T 1 : Spraying of 0.02% Zn solution once in growing season, T : Spraying 0f 0.02% Zn solution twice in growing season, T : Spraying of 0.04% Zn solution once in growing season, T 4 3 : Spraying of 0.04% Zn solution twice in growing season, T 5 : Spraying of 0.06% Zn solution once in growing season, T : Spraying of 0.06% Zn solution twice in growing season and T : Application of Zn in the soil as per recommended dose (2.5 kg Zn/ha). The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Statistically significant variation was observed for different parameters that were recorded. At 40, 50, 60, 70 DAS and harvest, the tallest plants (44.96, 64.73, 79.82, 90.17 and 97.01 cm, respectively) were recorded from T 6 7 , while the shortest plant (39.27, 53.87, 69.26, 76.42 and 81.17 cm, respectively) was observed from T . The maximum number of effective tillers plants -1 0 (5.13), maximum number of filled grains spike (46.07), highest grain yield (3.97 t ha -1 ) and highest straw yield (5.10 t ha -1 ) was attained from T 6 , while the minimum number of effective tillers plants -1 (3.87), minimum number of filled grains spike -1 (40.43), lowest grain yield (3.08 t ha -1 ) lowest straw yield (4.44 t ha -1 ) and was observed from T .But incase of effective tiller, length of flag leaf,spikelet/spike,filled grain,yield of grain under T 0 treatment were statistically identical with T 3 , T 4 ,T 5 treatment.So we can choose T 6 for yield contributing characters and yield attributes. The maximum uptake of N (27.02 kg ha 3 ), P (10.62 kg ha -1 ) and K (14.07 kg ha -1 ) by wheat grain were found from T but the maximum uptake of Zn (0.214 kg ha -1 ) from T 7, 5 while the minimum values of uptake of N (19.40 kg ha -1 ), P (7.66 kg ha -1 ), K (10.29 kg ha -1 ) and Zn (0.073 kg ha -1 ) were found from T .The highest amount of available Zn of post harvest soil (3.53 ppm) was found from T 0 , whereas the lowest available Zn in post harvest soil (2.01 ppm) was observed from T 7 . Among the different treatments of foliar spray of Zn, spraying of 0.06% Zn solution twice in growing season induced superior growth, yield contributing characters and yield of wheat. 0 6 -1 0 -1 2