MITIGATION OF WATER DEFICIT STRESS IN WHEAT BY FOLIAR FEEDING OF POTASSIUM

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at the research field of Crop Physiology and Ecology Department, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU), Dinajpur, Bangladesh during November 2021 to March 2022 to investigate the ameliorative effect of foliar application of potassium on wheat under non-irrigated water deficit stress condition, The treatments viz., well water (WW), water deficit stress (WDS) and foliar application of 2.23% K2SO4 under WDS were placed as main plot treatment and two wheat varieties (BARI Gom 28 and BARI Gom 32) were placed as sub plot treatment in split plot design following three replications. The interaction effect of growing conditions and wheat varieties significantly influenced the physiological traits, yield components and yield of wheat. Imposed water deficit stress significantly reduced different physiological traits, yield and yield attributes except proline content of flag leaf of wheat. Foliar application of potassium alleviated the adverse effect of water deficit stress in different degrees and improved the studied traits under stress condition. Foliar application of potassium was found more effective in BARI Gom 28 than that of BARI Gom 32. Foliar potassium increased grain yield by 7.43% and 3.56% in BARI Gom 28 and BARI Gom 32, respectively under water deficit stress condition. It can be concluded that additional foliar feeding of potassium along with recommended potassium could alleviate adverse effect of water deficit stress and improve productivity of wheat under drought environment.