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

Usman Zulfiqar, Saddam Hussain, Muhammad Ishfaq, Nauman Ali, Muhammad Ahmad, Fahid Ihsan, Mohamed S. Sheteiwy, Abdur Rauf, Christophe Hano and Mohamed A. El-Esawi
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Usman Zulfiqar: Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
Saddam Hussain: Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
Muhammad Ishfaq: Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
Nauman Ali: Agronomic Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Muhammad Ahmad: Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
Fahid Ihsan: Agronomic Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Mohamed S. Sheteiwy: Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
Abdur Rauf: Department of Chemistry, University of Swabi, Anbar 23430, Pakistan
Christophe Hano: Laboratoire de Biologie des Ligneux et des Grandes Cultures (LBLGC), INRAE USC1328, Université d’Orléans, 28000 Chartres, France
Mohamed A. El-Esawi: Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 2, 1-16

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.

Keywords: agronomic biofortification; conservation tillage; economics; seed enhancements; soil health; Mn use efficiency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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