Manganese Supply Improves Bread Wheat Productivity, Economic Returns and Grain Biofortification under Conventional and No Tillage Systems

Usman Zulfiqar,Muhammad Ahmad,Abdur Rauf,Mohamed S Sheteiwy,Mohamed A El-Esawi,Saddam Hussain,Muhammad Ishfaq,Christophe Hano,Fahid Ihsan,Nauman Ali

doi:10.3390/agriculture11020142

Abstract

Manganese is an important essential micronutrient, and its deficiency causes latent health issues in humans. Agronomic biofortification can promisingly improve the plant nutrient concentration without changing the genetic makeup of plants. This study was designed to assess the best method of Mn application to enhance productivity and grain Mn contents under conventional tillage (CT) and no tillage (NT) systems. Manganese was delivered through seed coating (250-mg kg−1 seed), osmopriming (0.1-M Mn solution), soil application (1 kg ha−1), and foliar application (0.25-M Mn solution). A general control with no seed Mn application was included, whereas hydropriming and water spray were used as positive control treatments for Mn seed priming and Mn foliar spray, respectively. No tillage had a higher total soil porosity (9%), soil organic carbon (16%), soil microbial biomass carbon (4%), nitrogen (2%), and soil nutrients in the CT system. Manganese nutrition through various methods significantly enhanced the yield, grain biofortification, and net benefits for CT and NT systems. Averaged across two years, the maximum improvement in grain productivity was recorded with osmopriming (28%) followed by foliar application (26%). The highest grain Mn concentration (29% over no application) was recorded with Mn foliar applications under both tillage systems. Moreover, the highest economic returns and marginal net benefits were recorded with osmopriming. To improve the wheat production, profitability, and grain Mn concentration, Mn application through priming and foliar application may be opted.

Highlights

IntroductionHidden hunger is an emerging issue that is adversely affecting the global population and has become a major challenge [1,2]
Under no tillage (NT), substantial improvements were observed at 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm sampling depths in total soil porosity (TSP) (8% and 9%), soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) (4% and 3%), SMBN
The results supported the hypothesis that Mn nutrition in wheat by different application methods increased the productivity, net benefits, grain Mn concentration, and its efficient use in conventional, as well as conservation, tillage systems (Tables 3–6 and Figure 2); a variation was found for various Mn application methods and

Summary

Introduction

Hidden hunger is an emerging issue that is adversely affecting the global population and has become a major challenge [1,2]. Two billion people suffer from hidden hunger, in developing countries [4]. Micronutrients have a chief role in the metabolic and physiological functions of the plant, and their deficiency leads to disturbances in developmental cascades of plants and adversely affects productivity [9]. They are required in minor quantities and, at the above optimum amount, they become toxic [10]

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Methods

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Discussion

Conclusion