Foliar Fertilizer Application Research Articles

Biofortification of wheat, rice and common bean by applying foliar zinc fertilizer along with pesticides in seven countries

Rice (Oryza sativa L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are major staple food crops consumed worldwide. Zinc (Zn) deficiency represents a common micronutrient deficiency in human populations, especially in regions of the world where staple food crops are the main source of daily calorie intake. Foliar application of Zn fertilizer has been shown to be effective for enriching food crop grains with Zn to desirable amounts for human nutrition. For promoting adoption of this practice by growers, it is important to know whether foliar Zn fertilizers can be applied along with pesticides to wheat, rice and also common bean grown across different soil and environmental conditions. The feasibility of foliar application of zinc sulphate (ZnSO4.7H2O) to wheat, rice and common bean in combination with commonly used five fungicides and nine insecticides was investigated under field conditions at the 31 sites-years of seven countries, i.e., China, India, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey, Brazil and Zambia. Significant increases in grain yields were observed with foliar Zn/foliar Zn + pesticide (5.2–7.7 % of wheat and 1.6–4.2 % of rice) over yields with no Zn treatment. In wheat, as average of all experiments, higher grain Zn concentrations were recorded with foliar Zn alone (41.2 mg kg−1) and foliar Zn + pesticide (38.4 mg kg−1) as compared to no Zn treatment (28.0 mg kg−1). Though the magnitude of grain Zn enrichment was lesser in rice than wheat, grain Zn concentrations in brown rice were significantly higher with foliar Zn (24.1 mg kg−1) and foliar Zn + pesticide (23.6 mg kg−1) than with no Zn (19.1 mg kg−1). In case of common bean, grain Zn concentration increased from 68 to 78 mg kg−1 with foliar Zn alone and to 77 mg kg−1 with foliar Zn applied in combination with pesticides. Thus, grain Zn enrichment with foliar Zn, without or with pesticides, was almost similar in all the tested crops. The results obtained at the 31 experimental site-years of seven countries revealed that foliar Zn fertilization can be realized in combination with commonly-applied pesticides to contribute Zn biofortification of grains in wheat, rice and common bean. This agronomic approach represents a useful practice for the farmers to alleviate Zn deficiency problem in human populations.

Effects of foliar application of nano-fertile fertilizer containing humic acid on growth, yield and nutrient concentration of mint (Mentha sativa) in aquaponic system

Due to recent droughts in Iran and other parts of the world and consequently limited water resources, tending to aquaponic system, in which fish and plants grow together, is a logical and practical method. For this reason, in the current experiment, possibility of mint planting in aquaponic system and the effects of applying nano-fertile fertilizer containing 60% humic acid on its growth was investigated. Mint rhizomes were planted in pure-perlite-contained pots and after reaching trnsferable stage, the plants were transferred to course-sand medium of aquaponic system. Nanofertile fertilizer concentrations for foliar spray were 0 (control), 500, 1000 and 1500 mg/L, with 100 mL for each treatment. Foliar application was continued every week, for 6 weeks, and the plants were harvested after 60 days. Results showed that all concentrations of foliar spray of mint plants with nano-fertile fertilizer increased fresh and dry weight of shoot and root as compared to control. Nano-fertile fertilizer increased chlorophyll content, soluble sugars, Fv/Fm, and PI as compared to control plants. Plant growth enhancement and better physiological conditions of nanofertile sprayed plants were correlated with higher potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, manganese and copper content in shoots of the treated plants. Therefore, considering higher concentration of some nutrients and chlorophyll content in the leaves of plants treated with nano-fertile fertilizer and consequently higher photochemical quantum yield (Fv/Fm) and photosynthesis performance index (PI), it is concluded that nano-fertile-treated plants had a better photosynthesis condition and thus carbon fixation was carried out well, dry matter was increased and plant growth was improved.

Foliar application of calcium and boron improves the spike fertily and yield of wheat

Foliar applications of calcium (Ca) and boron (B) could improve the fertilization of flowers and enhance the wheat yield. The effects of foliar spray of Ca and B on plant growth, grain yield and yield components of wheat were investigated in this study. Treatments consisted of 0, 1.8, 3.6, and 7.2 L ha –1 application of chelated fertilizer containing 125 g L –1 of Ca and 6 g L –1 of B ( Omega Cabor II ® ), divided into two spray, the first one at tillering and the second at early bloom. The results revealed that foliar spray of Ca and B did not affect the stem diameter, peduncle length, spike length, hectoliter weight and thousand-grain mass of wheat. Maximum plant height and flag leaf insertion height was recorded with 4.0 L ha –1 application of foliar fertilizer (4% increase over control). The 7.2 L ha –1 application of foliar fertilizer increased significantly the number of spikelets per spike (9%), number of grains per spike (24%), grain mass per spike (28%), spike mass (14%), number of spikes m –2 (32%) and grain yield (30%) compared to the control. Foliar application of Ca and B improves growth, fertilization of flowers and the number of fertile tillers of wheat plants resulting in higher grain yield.

FOLIAGE APPLIED ZINC IMPROVE THE GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVITY OF WHEAT

A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of foliar application of zinc fertilizer on the growth, yield and yield components of wheat. Experiment was laid out in a factorial randomized completely block design consisting of twelve treatments with three replications. The levels of zinc sulfate were 0 (control water spray), 0.25% solution of zinc, 0.5% solution of zinc, 0.75% solution of zinc. Levels of zinc sulfate were applied at tillering, booting and tillering × booting stages of growth. Results revealed that highest values for relative growth rate, leaf area index, net assimilation rate, total number of fertile tillers m -2 , plant height, number of spikelets spike -1 , spike length, grain spike -1 , 1000 grains weight, grain yield, straw yield, biological yield and harvest index was observed with 0.5% solution of zinc sulfate. Foliar application of 0.5% solution of zinc sulfate (at the time of tillering booting) appeared to be the best doze for wheat crop under Multan conditions.

Chlorosis correction and agronomic biofortification in field peas through foliar application of iron fertilizers under Fe deficiency

ABSTRACTEffectiveness of different iron (Fe) foliar sprays for leaf chlorosis correction and grain Fe boosting was studied in field peas under Fe deficiency. No chlorophyll reduction was observed in Fe deficient plants treated with foliar sprays. EDDHA [ethylenediamine-N,N′-bis(2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid)] followed by FeSO4 (73.7 mg/l Fe) treated at the start of flowering was most responsive in correcting chlorosis and increasing shoot dry biomass in peas. Inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy data showed significant increase of Fe in grains while treated with all foliar sprays at the time of grain filling in Fe-deficient plants. Among them, FeSO4 (73.7 mg/l Fe) was the most efficient in biofortifying Fe in mature grain under Fe deficiency in peas. Results also pinpoint that flowering is a suitable time for applying foliar sprays to boost Fe in mature grains. Taken together, application of Fe foliar sprays facilitated both chlorosis correction and Fe boosting in peas and can be further used by breeders and farmers.

The effect of foliar fertilization on the yield and generative factors of maize

We examined the effect of different foliar fertilization products on the yield and generative factors of maize in 2015. The experiment was set in three repetitions, random blocks on the area of Tangazdaság Ltd. in Hódmezővásárely. The soil of the experiment was meadow chernozem. Soil analysis data showed that it had had good nitrogen, and very good phosphor and potassium contents. During the experiment we applied two times foliar fertilization. The year 2015 was unfavourable for com production. In 2015 the amount of precipitation in the vegetative period of com was lower by 83.4 mm than the average. The average temperature showed a positive deviation compared to the average of several years. We processed the obtained data by single factor variant analysis. The yield of the control treatment was 6.39 t/ha, the yields of the foliar fertilization plots ranged between 6.5-7.5 t/ha. The foliar fertilization products increased the yield of com, but this difference was not significant. By the application of foliar fertilization the generative factors of com did not change significantly.

Influence of chemical and organic fertilizer on growth, yield and essential oil of dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica L.) plant

Two field experiments were carried out to study the response of Dracocephalum moldavica L. to NPK fertilizer and different application techniques of MOG organic fertilizer in two regions of Iran (Piranshahr with cold Mediterranean climate and clay loam soil, Maragheh with cool sub-humid temperate climate and sandy loam soil). MOG is bio-organic fertilizer with plant origin and contains different natural enzymes and amino acids. In current study following treatments have been applied: NPK (a complete NPK 20-20-20, 90 kg fertilizer ha-1); MOG1 (soil application of MOG organic fertilizer at sowing stage); MOG2 (foliar application of MOG organic fertilizer at early stage of flowering); MOG3 (soil application of MOG organic fertilizer at sowing and at 5 to 6 leaf stage); MOG4 (soil application of MOG organic fertilizer at sowing and at 5 to 6 leaf stage with foliar application at early stage of flowering). Results indicated that all MOG treatments overcome the chemical fertilizers in both locations. However, plants grown in Piranshahr were more responsive to MOG fertilizer treatments than those grown in Mragheh. Overall, it could be concluded that utilization of MOG fertilizer as both soil and foliar application (MOG4) may increase content and yield of essential oil, which could be suggested as a suitable alternative for chemical fertilizers.

Growth and flowering of tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.) as influenced by foliar application of organic fertilizers

ABSTRACTFoliar application effects of two commercial organic fertilizers: Drin and Algaren on growth and flowering of two cultivars (‘Mahallati’ and ‘Dezfuli’) of tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.) were examined. This research was carried out in a complete randomized design with factorial arrangements including two factors (cultivars and organic fertilizers), each treatment with three replications. Drin and Algaren improved vegetative growth in tuberose and concentration of 0.4–0.6 mL L−1 Drin and concentration of 0.6 and 0.8 mL L−1 of Algaren could be recommended for foliar application on tuberose. This is the first report on using new types of organic fertilizers on ornamental bulbous plants. Further experiments are needed to clarify more the effects of these organic fertilizers on bulbous plants.

Improving key enzyme activities and quality of rice under various methods of zinc application

Zinc (Zn) is an important micronutrient for the physiology of plants. It is poorly available to the plants in soil solution. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate effectiveness of various Zn application methods on key enzyme activities and protein content of two contrasting rice genotypes viz., PD16 (Zn efficient) and NDR359 (Zn inefficient). The treatments were, control (0 mg Zn kg(-1)soil), soil application (5mg Zn kg(-1) soil), foliar application (0.5% ZnSO4 + 0.25% lime at 30, 60 and 90days after transplanting), soil (5mg Zn kg(-1) soil) + foliar application of 0.5% ZnSO4 + 0.25% lime at 30, 60 and 90days after transplanting. Among all the methods tested soil+foliar application of Zn fertilizers was found most effective in increasing superoxide dismutase (SOD) and carbonic anhydrase (CA) activitiesas well as chlorophyll and protein content in both the rice varieties. NDR359, showed higher enzyme activities and more chlorophyll content in leaves than PD16, when Zn was appliedeither through foliar spray alone or in soil along with foliar application. Regarding the protein content in grains, PD16 showed higher protein content than NDR359, thus showed better translocation of Zn from leaves to grains.

Effect of dose and type of fertilizer on flowering and fruiting of vanilla plants

ABSTRACTNutritional status affects the processes of flowering and fruiting of plants. This study was conducted to determine the effects of fertilizer application on flowering, fruiting, and leaf nutrient content of Vanilla planifolia (Jacks. ex Andr). Treatments consisted of the application of grade 10-20-20 nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) fertilizer to the substratum in annual doses of 20, 50, and 100 g/plant plus a monthly application of foliar fertilizer. Two more treatments were foliar fertilization and no fertilization (control). Treatments increased the number of inflorescences and flower buds per plant, as well as the number and weight of fruits per plant, and decreased the abortion of flowers and immature fruits. These effects depended on the type of fertilizer, the amount applied, and the time of evaluation. The best results were obtained with the 100 g/plant/year treatment with an annual production of 1.5 kg of fruits per plant in the second year. Unfertilized plants produced 0.55 kg/plant/year. Differences were also found in foliar content of N, P, K, and copper (Cu) between vegetative and reproductive branches. Application of fertilizer to the substratum appears to improve reproductive parameters of vanilla plants and the production of beans, while foliar fertilization alone was ineffective in increasing crop productivity. Nutrients also seem to translocate from mature leaves to fruit racemes.

An effective strategy to improve grain zinc concentration of winter wheat, Aphids prevention and farmers’ income

Foliar zinc (Zn) application represents an effective way to improve grain Zn concentration of cereal crops. Spraying Zn together insecticides would be an important advantage for the growers to minimize costs. However, there is very little information about combined foliar application of Zn fertilizers together with insecticides. A field experiment was conducted to investigate how spraying Zn fertilizer in form of ZnSO4 together with commonly applied insecticides (e.g., Acetamiprid and Imidacloprid) affects the grain Zn concentration of wheat grown in the Northern China Plain. The main treatment included three levels: only insecticide applied (recorded as T1); foliar Zn fertilizer applied one day after insecticide application (recorded as T2); foliar Zn fertilizer applied together with insecticide (recorded as T3). The results showed that there was no antagonistic effect between insecticide and Zn when they were sprayed together. Compared with insecticide application only, foliar application of Zn fertilizer with insecticide increased grain yield by 3.7–4.9%, and grain Zn density by 48.2–61.6%. Grain yield and grain Zn concentration were not affected no matter Zn fertilizers were applied simultaneously with insecticide or one day after. The toxic effect of insecticide on insects was not affected when it was mixed with Zn fertilizer in the laboratory condition. Compared with application of Zn fertilizer and insecticide at different times, simultaneous combination can reduce the cost by 120 USDha−1 and increase farmers’ net income by 6.3%. Therefore the results show clearly that ZnSO4 can be mixed and sprayed together with insecticide without causing any adverse effect. This is a very useful and cost-effective approach for growers contributing both to improving grain yield and grain Zn concentration and controlling aphids as well.

The Effect of Foliar Application of Seaweed Extract and NPK Fertilizer on some Growth Characteristics and Yield of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.).

The current experiment has been conducted to study the effect of foliar application of seaweed extract (AIGA CIFO 3000) at three concentrations; 0, 1.5 or 6mg. L-1 and NPK fertilizer at three concentrations also; 0, 1.5 or 3 g. L-1 and their combination on some growth parameters and yield of cucumber Cucumis sativus L. cv. Selion. The experiment was carried out in a plastic house at the College of Agriculture University of Al-Qadisiya during the period from 28-12-2013 to 22-4-2014. Radomized complete block design has been used with three replications. The spray with seaweed and NPK fertilizer is done twice; the first one is after one month of planting in the permanent place, and the second one is after two weeks from the first spray. Plant height, number of branches, leaf chlorophyll content are have been measured. Also, early and total yield and fruit characters such as length, weight, and fruit diameter, total soluble solids and vitamin C are calculated. The results show that plant height and number of branches are increased significantly with seaweed and NPK treatments, especially at the higher concentrations. Also, chlorophyll content in leaves is also increased significantly at the higher concentration of the seaweed. The early yield is increased at both concentrations of both factors used, while there is a significant increase in total yield at the higher concentration of both factors in compare to control. The two concentrations of seaweed extract cause significant increase in fruit weight, while the treatments have variable effects with regard to fruit length and diameter. There was a gradual increase in TSS and vitamin C with the increase of the concentrations of both seaweed extract and NPK fertilizer.

Improved crop management practices for sustainable pulse production: An Indian perspective

Pulses are an integral part of Indian agricultural economy next to cereals and oilseeds in terms of acreage, production and economic value. Pulses are rich source of protein and energy, but in India, these are largely cultivated under energy starved conditions resulting in poor pulse productivity. This is mainly because of unavailability of quality seed at desired time, cultivation on marginal and sub-marginal lands, imbalanced use of fertilizers and nonadoption of crop improved management practices. India is the largest producer and consumer of pulses in the world, accounting for about 25% of global production, 27% of consumption and 34% of food use. To reduce the demandsupply gap, government of India launched various programmes in pulses. Still, prime attention is required to meet the food security challenges, especially in case of pulse sector. In order to enhance and sustain the pulse productivity at high levels, the development and promotion of low–cost pulse production technology need greater attention so that technology is widely adopted by the practizing farmers. The most potential technologies in pulse production include improved crop establishment and management practices, integrated soil fertility and pest management practices, etc. which enhance not only the productivity and profitability but also warrants environmental and social sustainability besides nutritional security. Various agronomic researches have shown that improved cultivation practices, such as seed replacement with improved varieties, raised bed planting method, use of biofertilizers, foliar application of fertilizers at critical stages in rainfed areas, application of secondary and micro-nutrients and adoption of appropriate modules for integrated weed and pest management, etc. have great potential in gearing-up pulses productivity. Thus, there is a great challenge for policy makers, farm scientists and farming community to enhance pulse productivity using improved farm technology to meet out the national and local pulse requirements. Thus, this article presents a critical review on capacity of various improved crop management practices to scale-up pulses productivity on one hand and highlight future research priorities on the other with the prime objective of sustaining pulse production in India.

Exploring the Role of Zinc in Maize (Zea Mays L.) through Soil and Foliar Application

Maize (Zea mays L.) is considered as high nutrient demanding crop and needs balanced nutrition. It is also regarded sensitive to zinc deficiency. Zinc is mostly deficient in soils and application of zinc fertilizer is required to explore its full potential. Crop species and even cultivars within species vary in their Zn requirement. A field experiment was conducted during spring 2011 at Agronomic Research Area, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan to evaluate the comparative efficacy of Zn uptake and grain yield in three maize hybrids (Pioneer-32 F 10, Monsanto-6525 and Hycorn-8288) through the application of Zn in the form of ZnSO4. The ZnSO4 treatments comprised; soil application at the time of sowing @ 12 kg ha-1, foliar application at vegetative stage (9 leaf stage) @ 1% ZnSO4 solution and foliar application at reproductive stage (anthesis) @ 1% ZnSO4 solution and one treatment was kept as a control. The experimental results showed substantial difference in yield and yield contributing parameters such as plant population at harvest, number of grains per cob, biological yield, grain yield and harvest index. Statistically maximum grain yield (8.76t ha-1) was obtained with foliar spray of ZnSO4 at 9-leaf stage (Zn2) in case of Monsanto-6525. Foliar spray of ZnSO4 increased 38% and soil application gave 23.7% more grain yield than control treatment. Foliar spray of ZnSO4 at 9-leaf stage in Monsanto-6525 hybrid produced higher grain yield and net field benefit. Thus foliar application of Zn fertilizers has a positive effect on economic and biological yield of maize crop.

Alterations in mineral nutrients in soybean grain induced by organo-mineral foliar fertilizers

Chemical composition of soybean grain may be modified by application of foliar fertilizers. The aim of this study was to test the effect of different organo-mineral foliar fertilizers: Zlatno inje, Bioplant Flora, Algaren BZn, Zircon, as well as plant growth regulator Epin Extra, on potential availability of mineral elements (Mg, Fe, Mn and Zn) from grain of three commercial soybean varieties: ZP-015, Nena and Laura (variety lacking in Kunitz trypsin inhibitor). In addition, phytate (Phy) and β-carotene contents were determined. ZP-015 achieved the highest P, Mg, Fe, Mn and β-carotene contents. Laura had the highest Phy level, which might reflect the diminished availability of nutrients from grain. Compared to control, most of the applied fertilizers increased β-carotene and decreased Mn content in all three soybean varieties. Increase in β-carotene content was followed by increase in Fe content, mainly in grains with larger weight, as a part of improved yielding potential. Positive effect of Zircon application was evident on increased grain weight, and β-carotene and Fe content. These parameters together with the lowest values found for Phy/β-carotene and Phy/Mg ratios may explain the enhanced Mg and Fe bioavailability. On the other hand, positive effects of Epin Extra were mostly reflected by a decrease of Phy and an increase in Fe and Mn, thus becoming more bio-available. Accordingly, the organo-mineral foliar fertilizers based mainly on phenolic acids (Zircon) and bioregulator (Epin Extra) are to be recommended for soybean fortification.

EDTA-Coated Fe3O4 Nanoparticles: a Novel Biocompatible Fertilizer for Improving Agronomic Traits of Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus)

In this study, a set of experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of EDTA-grafted iron oxide nanoparticles exposure on agronomic traits of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) plants. The experiment was implemented by applying Nano-Fe3O4-EDTA and Fe-EDTA fertilizers applied through spray or soil amendment. A variety of parameters including Aerial organ biomass, Number of leaves, Plant height, Chlorophyll content as well as elemental quantities of the plants were investigated. The results demonstrated considerably dominant effect of Nano-Fe3O4-EDTA fertilizer on many of the studied factors. The dramatically increased Fe content of plants (137% relative to the control) by using nano-Fe-EDTA, makes this novel fertilizer a promising candidate to obviate iron deficiency problem in plants. Moreover, it was clearly observed that more pronounced positive effects is obtained through soil amendment than by foliar application of fertilizers and only in some cases such as aerial organ biomasses and Fe content, the foliar treatment has turned out to be more effective.

Response of maize (Zea mays) to the application of foliar fertilizers in the Sudan and Guinea savanna zone of Nigeria

AbstractSoil fertility problems resulting in low maize yields in smallholder farms are common in the West African moist savanna. The effectiveness of commercial foliar fertilizers in improving maize growth and yield was evaluated in three savanna agro‐ecological zones of Nigeria in two steps. In step one, eight commercial foliar fertilizers were assessed in a greenhouse study with two soil types using maize (Zea mays L. cv. 2004 TZE‐Y POPDT STR C4). The treatments included a control and a reference that received the optimum concentrations of nutrients. In step 2, three promising products from the greenhouse study (Turbotop, Agroleaf General, and Agroleaf high‐P) were evaluated under field conditions to validate the efficacy of products to enhance crop growth and yield. The foliar products were applied at the rate of 5 kg ha−1. The treatments also included three rates of P application (0, 30, and 60 kg P ha−1) as triple super phosphate (TSP) with or without foliar fertilizers. In the greenhouse study, differences in maize shoot dry matter yield and N and P concentrations, attributable to the spraying of the commercial foliar fertilizers, were observed for both soils. Spraying Turbotop, Agroleaf General, and Agroleaf high‐P gave the highest shoot dry biomass and N and P uptake compared to other products. Under field conditions, foliar spraying of Agroleaf high‐P significantly increased the shoot dry biomass of maize compared with the 0 P treatment in all locations. The grain yield of maize ranged from 1 to 4 t ha−1 with significant differences across sites. Products with high concentrations of P and N in their formulation improved maize yield suggesting that appropriate management of P and N resources is a prerequisite for a sustainable maize intensification in the savanna agro‐ecologies.

The effect of foliar application of zinc (Zn) on yield and yield components of irrigated wheat cultivars in ahvaz weather conditions

Lack of access to the soil zinc particularly in calcareous areas with high PH is one of the factors reducing the wheat yield. Therefore, in order to investigate the effect of zinc (Zn) on the growth, yield, and yield components of three wheat cultivars, a split plot experiment in the form of randomized complete block design with three replications was carried out in Hamidiyeh, Ahvaz in 2011-2012. The main plot consisted of foliar application of four levels of zinc fertilizer at stem elongation stage including (without zinc consumption, 0.001 zinc per hectare, 0.003 zinc per hectare, 0.005 zinc per hectare) and the sub plot included three irrigated wheat cultivars (Chamran, Falat, Star). The results indicated that the studied wheat cultivars were significantly different in terms of grain yield at 5% probability level. Chamran cultivar had the highest number of spike per area unit, number of grains per spike, number of spikelet per spike, 1000-grain weight, and consequently the highest grain yield by 4740.83 kg/ha and the lowest grain yield belonged to the Star cultivar by 3700.83 kg/ha. The effect of foliar application of zinc fertilizer on the grain yield was not significant. However, application of 0.005 zinc per hectare (412 kg/ha) increased the grain yield in comparison to the control treatment. Furthermore, the foliar application of zinc had a significant effect on protein percentage and zinc concentration in grain at 1% level. The wheat cultivars were significantly different in terms of the grain zinc concentration at 1% level. The highest and the lowest concentrations of grain zinc respectively belonged to Chamran and Star cultivars. It seems that foliar application of zinc fertilizer had an effective role in increasing the concentration of grain zinc which was followed by the increase of grain yield. Moreover, wheat cultivars had different reactions to the foliar application of zinc and the cultivars with positive reaction to zinc can be used in lands with zinc deficiency.

Supplemental macronutrients and microbial fermentation products improve the uptake and transport of foliar applied zinc in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) plants. Studies utilizing micro X-ray florescence.

Enhancing nutrient uptake and the subsequent elemental transport from the sites of application to sites of utilization is of great importance to the science and practical field application of foliar fertilizers. The aim of this study was to investigate the mobility of various foliar applied zinc (Zn) formulations in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and to evaluate the effects of the addition of an organic biostimulant on phloem loading and elemental mobility. This was achieved by application of foliar formulations to the blade of sunflower (H. annuus L.) and high-resolution elemental imaging with micro X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) to visualize Zn within the vascular system of the leaf petiole. Although no significant increase of total Zn in petioles was determined by inductively-coupled plasma mass-spectrometer, μ-XRF elemental imaging showed a clear enrichment of Zn in the vascular tissues within the sunflower petioles treated with foliar fertilizers containing Zn. The concentration of Zn in the vascular of sunflower petioles was increased when Zn was applied with other microelements with EDTA (commercial product Kick-Off) as compared with an equimolar concentration of ZnSO4 alone. The addition of macronutrients N, P, K (commercial product CleanStart) to the Kick-Off Zn fertilizer, further increased vascular system Zn concentrations while the addition of the microbially derived organic biostimulant "GroZyme" resulted in a remarkable enhancement of Zn concentrations in the petiole vascular system. The study provides direct visualized evidence for phloem transport of foliar applied Zn out of sites of application in plants by using μ-XRF technique, and suggests that the formulation of the foliar applied Zn and the addition of the organic biostimulant GroZyme increases the mobility of Zn following its absorption by the leaf of sunflower.

Supplemental macronutrients and microbial fermentation products improve the uptake and transport of foliar applied zinc in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) plants. Studies utilizing micro X-ray florescence

Enhancing nutrient uptake and the subsequent elemental transport from the sites of application to sites of utilization is of great importance to the science and practical field application of foliar fertilizers. The aim of this study was to investigate the mobility of various foliar applied zinc (Zn) formulations in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and to evaluate the effects of the addition of an organic biostimulant on phloem loading and elemental mobility. This was achieved by application of foliar formulations to the blade of sunflower (H. annuus L.) and high-resolution elemental imaging with micro X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) to visualize Zn within the vascular system of the leaf petiole. Although no significant increase of total Zn in petioles was determined by inductively-coupled plasma mass-spectrometer, μ-XRF elemental imaging showed a clear enrichment of Zn in the vascular tissues within the sunflower petioles treated with foliar fertilizers containing Zn. The concentration of Zn in the vascular of sunflower petioles was increased when Zn was applied with other microelements with EDTA (commercial product Kick-Off) as compared with an equimolar concentration of ZnSO4 alone. The addition of macronutrients N, P, K (commercial product CleanStart) to the Kick-Off Zn fertilizer, further increased vascular system Zn concentrations while the addition of the microbially derived organic biostimulant “GroZyme” resulted in a remarkable enhancement of Zn concentrations in the petiole vascular system. The study provides direct visualized evidence for phloem transport of foliar applied Zn out of sites of application in plants by using μ-XRF technique, and suggests that the formulation of the foliar applied Zn and the addition of the organic biostimulant GroZyme increases the mobility of Zn following its absorption by the leaf of sunflower.