4R stewardship-based potassium application to enhance iron, zinc, and copper nutrient levels in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
2024
Shanmugam Vijayakumar | Dinesh Kumar | Yashbir Singh Shivay | Dinesh Kumar Sharma | Thirumalai Varatharajan
Micronutrient deficiencies like iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) are widespread in humans. Unfortunately, these micronutrients are also deficient in major parts of Indian soil. As wheat is a staple food for more than 50% of India's population, enriching wheat grain with these micronutrients can help alleviate these deficiencies in humans. Therefore, two-year field experiments were conducted at the ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, to evaluate the impact of 4R stewardship-based potassium (K) fertilization on wheat uptake and translocation of Zn, Fe, and Cu. The results revealed that the K application rate, method, and timing significantly influenced Zn, Fe, and Cu uptake and translocation. In contrast, the source of K fertilizer had a nonsignificant effect. The concentrations of Fe, Cu, and Zn in the grain improved with increasing K application rates up to 48 kg K/ha, after which a nonsignificant effect was detected. Two split applications of 48 kg K/ha resulted in higher grain nutrient concentrations (Zn: 38.2 mg/kg, Fe: 110 mg/kg, Cu: 9.0 mg/kg) than did basal application (Zn: 37.6 mg/kg, Fe: 105 mg/kg, Cu: 8.8 mg/kg). The Zn (52.3%−57.4%), Fe (21%−26.5%), and Cu (27.5%−31.3%) harvest indices under two split applications of 48 kg K/ha revealed that more than 50%, 25%, and 33%, respectively, of the absorbed Zn, Fe, and Cu was remobilized to the grain. However, the basal application of 48 kg K/ha and no K application significantly reduced the translocation of Zn, Fe, and Cu to the grain.
Show more [+] Less [-]AGROVOC Keywords
Bibliographic information
This bibliographic record has been provided by Directory of Open Access Journals