Assess Foliar Application of Iron and Zinc Fertilizers on Quantitative and Qualitative Traits of Sunflower in Warm and Dry Climate Condition (Southwest of Iran, Ahvaz Region)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Nutrients play a very important role in chemical, biochemical, physiological, metabolic, geochemical, biogeochemical, and enzymatic processes.

OBJECTIVES: Current research was done to evaluated effect of foliar application of Microelements (Iron and Zinc) on crop production of Sunflower.

METHODS: This study was conducted in Ahvaz city (southwest of Iran) via a Factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replications during 2022. The first factor included foliar application of Iron fertilizer (Zero or control, 0.003 and 0.005 concentration) and second factor consisted foliar application of Zinc fertilizer (Zero or control, 0.002 and 0.004 concentration).

RESULT: According result of analysis of variance effect of different level of Iron and Zinc fertilizer on all studied traits were significant but interaction effect of treatments on 1000-grain weight, oil content and oil yield was not significant. Evaluation mean comparison result of different level of Iron fertilizer revealed maximum amount of 1000-grain weight (65.27 gr), oil content (41.11%) and oil yield (116.87 gr.m^-2) belonged to 0.005 L.ha^-1 and lowest ones was control. Also compare different level of foliar application of Zinc showed that the maximum and the minimum amount of 1000-grain weight, oil content and oil yield belonged to 0.004 L.ha^-1 and control treatments. Evaluation mean comparison result of interaction effect of treatments indicated maximum number of grain per head (620.31), grain yield (298.6 gr.m^-2), protein content (19.3%) and protein yield (57.62 gr.m^-2) was noted for 0.005 L.ha^-1 foliar application of Iron and 0.004 L.ha^-1 foliar application of Zinc and lowest ones belonged to control treatment.

CONCLUSION: Finally according result of current research application 0.005 L.ha^-1 foliar application of Iron and 0.004 L.ha^-1 foliar application of Zinc had the highest amount of studied traits and it can be advice to producers in studied region.