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Integrated application of plant bioregulator and micronutrients improves crop physiology, productivity and grain biofortification of delayed sown wheat

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Abstract

Delay sowing of wheat is a common problem in Punjab that exacerbates serious yield loss. To reduce yield loss and improve yield, different combinations of foliar-applied bioregulator and micronutrients, control (CK), zinc (Zn), boron (B), thiourea (TU), Zn + B (ZnB), Zn + TU (ZnTU), B + TU (BTU), Zn + B + TU (ZnBTU) were applied at booting and grain filling stages in delayed sown wheat in 2017–18 and 2018–19. The results showed that ZnBTU treatment significantly increased leaf area index by 25.06% and 23.21%, spike length by 15.11% and 19.65% in 2017 and 2018, respectively, compared to CK. The ZnBTU treatment also increased 1000-grain weight by 21.96% and 22.01% in 2017 and 2018, respectively, compared to CK. Similarly, higher Zn, B and N contents in straw and grain were recoded for ZnBTU treatment which was statistically similar to ZnB and ZnTU treatments. Overall, ZnBTU treatment also increased the photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance by 46.67%, 26.03%, 76.25% and decreased internal CO2 by 28.18%, compared to CK, respectively. Moreover, ZnBTU also recorded the highest grain yield in 2017–18 (25.05%) and 2018–19 (28.49%) than CK. In conclusion, foliar application of ZnBTU at the booting and grain filling stages of delayed sown wheat could be a promising strategy to increase grain yield.

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Funding

Wheat seed and growth regulators were provided by Mr. Abdur Rehman Randhawa (Research advisor Sygenta-Pakistan). Soil and plant analysis were funded by authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Naeem Ahmad, Ahmad Latif Virk, Sadam Hussain, Muhammad Bilal Hafeez & Fasih Ullah Haider

  2. College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China

    Naeem Ahmad, Sadam Hussain & Muhammad Bilal Hafeez

  3. College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

    Ahmad Latif Virk

  4. College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Gansu Agriculture University, Lanzhou, 730070, People’s Republic of China

    Fasih Ullah Haider

  5. Department of Agronomy, Ghazi University, Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakistan

    Muhammad Ishaq Asif Rehmani

  6. College of Agriculture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Bahadur Sub-Campus Layyah , Layyah, 31200, Pakistan

    Tauqeer Ahmad Yasir

  7. Department of Botany, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Ariba Asif

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  1. Naeem Ahmad
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Contributions

Conceptualization, N.A., A.L.V., S.H.; methodology, N.A., A.L.V., M.B.H., F.U.H.; validation and formal analysis, N.A., A.L.V., M.I.A.R., T.A.Y.; investigation and data curation, N.A., A.L.V., A.A.; writing—original draft preparation, review and editing, N.A., A.L.V., M.I.A.R.; supervision and project administration, A.L.V., M.I.A.R. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Naeem Ahmad or Muhammad Ishaq Asif Rehmani.

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Ahmad, N., Virk, A.L., Hussain, S. et al. Integrated application of plant bioregulator and micronutrients improves crop physiology, productivity and grain biofortification of delayed sown wheat. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 52534–52543 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19476-5

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