RESPONSE OF WHEAT TO ZINC AND MAGNESIUM FERTILIZATION (Triticum aestivum)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University Farm, Dhaka during the period from November 2010 to March 2011 to study the role of magnesium and zinc alone and combined on the growth, yield contributing characters and yield of BARI Gom 21 (Satabdi), (Triticum aestivum). There were three levels of Magnesium viz., 0, 6, 12 kg ha' and three levels of Zinc viz.,0.3,6kgha"in the experiment. The experiment was laid out in a Factorial Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Magnesium showed significant effect on yield and yield attributes of wheat. Application of magnesium @ 12 kg ha" produced the highest seed yield, plant height, number of tillers plant", 1000-seed weight and straw yield. In all the cases lower response was found from the control treatment. Zinc fertilizer also had significant effect on yield and yield attributes of wheat. Application of Zinc @ 6 kg ha' gave the highest seed yield, plant height, number of tillers plant", spike length, number of effective spikelets spike",l000-seed weight, straw yield but the lower response was found in all cases from the control treatment. Magnesium in combination with zinc showed significant effect on yield and yield attributes of wheat. Magnesium @ 12 kg ha" and zinc @6 kg ha" resulted the highest seed yield, plant height, and straw yield, number of effective spikelets spike" and 1000-seed weight and lower response was found in the control treatment. The addition of Mg and Zn not only increased the yield but also protect the soil from total exhaustion of nutrients.