Appropriate Soil Fertilization or Drone-Based Foliar Zn Spraying Can Simultaneously Improve Yield and Micronutrient (Particularly for Zn) Nutritional Quality of Wheat Grains

Xue Gao, Qiang Zhao, Nuo Yuan, Xiaojing Li, Bin Zhang, Yinghua Zhu, Lingan Kong, Zhaohui Wang () and Haiyong Xia ()
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Xue Gao: Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, State Key Laboratory of Barley and Yak Germplasm Resources and Genetic Improvement, Xizang Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Lhasa 850002, China
Qiang Zhao: School of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
Nuo Yuan: Crop Research Institute, National Engineering Research Center of Wheat and Maize/Shandong Technology Innovation Center of Wheat, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
Xiaojing Li: Crop Research Institute, National Engineering Research Center of Wheat and Maize/Shandong Technology Innovation Center of Wheat, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
Bin Zhang: Crop Research Institute, National Engineering Research Center of Wheat and Maize/Shandong Technology Innovation Center of Wheat, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
Yinghua Zhu: School of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
Lingan Kong: Crop Research Institute, National Engineering Research Center of Wheat and Maize/Shandong Technology Innovation Center of Wheat, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
Zhaohui Wang: State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Haiyong Xia: School of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-16

Abstract: To better understand the effects of agronomic practices on yield–nutrition relationships in wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) grains for Zn biofortification while improving yields simultaneously, effects of different soil fertilization and different drone-based foliar spraying treatments were investigated in calcareous soils. For soil fertilization, the incorporation of Zn or increasing the N/P ratio in compound fertilizers proved to be effective in enhancing grain Zn concentrations and yields. However, the overall effects of soil fertilization are limited, with a maximal yield increase of only 7.0% and a maximal increase of the grain Zn concentration from 19.4 to 27.0 mg/kg, which is far below the target biofortification value of 40–50 mg/kg. Unfortunately, there was a negative side effect, which decreased Fe and Mn concentrations and the Fe bioavailability. Notably, drone-based foliar Zn sprayings increased grain yields from the control 7.5 t/ha to 8.6 t/ha at ZnO treatment by 12.0% and 8.8 t/ha at ZnSO 4 ·7H 2 O treatment by 17.3%. Meanwhile, grain Zn concentrations were increased from the control 33.5 mg/kg to 41.9 mg/kg at ZnO treatment by 25.1% and 43.6 mg/kg at ZnSO 4 ·7H 2 O treatment by 30.1%. Treatments with ZnSO 4 ·7H 2 O increased grain Zn concentrations and accumulation more so than ZnO, indicating the importance of chemical Zn forms in determining the effectiveness of foliar spraying. Moreover, foliar Zn sprayings simultaneously increased grain concentrations and accumulation of Fe, Mn and Cu, demonstrating multiple benefits. There were positive correlations between Zn and Fe, Mn or Cu, indicating synergistic interactions. Compared to micronutrients, concentrations of grain macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) were less affected. Thus, a dual-benefit in both grain yields and micronutrient (particularly for Zn) nutrition could be effectively achieved through appropriate soil fertilization and foliar Zn spraying. These findings provide a better understanding of the yield–nutrition relationship among wheat grain yields, Zn and other nutrient elements for a better integrated manipulation to achieve a win–win situation in yield and nutrition.

Keywords: zinc; micronutrient; macronutrient; agronomic biofortification; compound fertilizer; drone technology; foliar spraying (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: 2024
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