EFFECT OF MICRONUTRIENTS ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF WHEAT

Abstract

Agricultural University (SAU), during October 2013 to February 2014, to study the effect of different levels of Zinc (Zn) and Boron (B) fertilization on the grain yield of wheat (BARI Gom-26). The experiment included four levels of Zn viz. 0, 0.02 %, 0.04 % and 0.06% Zn which were applied as foliar application and four levels of B viz. 0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 kg ha -1 which were applied as soil application. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results revealed that yield and yield contributing characters were influenced significantly by levels of zinc and boron. The tallest plant (80.26 cm) and the highest grain yield (2.73 t ha ) were obtained from Zn treatment (0.04 % Zn). In contrast, the shortest plant (77.73 cm) and minimum grain yield (2.30 t ha 2 -1 )

were observed when Zn was not applied (Zn treatment). On the other hand, plant height (80.02 cm) and grain yield (2.79 t ha -1 0 -1 ) were the highest when B

treatment (1 kg B ha -1 ) was imposed. The shortest plant height (76.85 cm) and the lowest grain yield (2.35 t ha -1 ) being recorded from the control treatment B . All the yield and yield contributing characters were significantly affected due to the interaction effects of different levels of Zn and B. Among the interactions, the tallest plant (83.56 cm) and the highest grain (3.27 t ha -1 ) were obtained from combined treatment Zn 0 2 B .On the contrary, the lowest performances for all the studied crop characters were observed from the treatment combination Zn 0 B 0

2 where Zn and B were not applied. The results showed that grain yield of wheat increased with increasing levels of both Zn and B up to Zn

2 2treatment (0.04 %)

and B 2 treatment (1.0 kg ha -1 ) , respectively. The effect of B was more prominent than with Zn on different yield components and yield of wheat.