Evaluation of the effect of foliar zinc sulfate application on quality characteristics, yield, and yield components of barley cultivars under irrigation water salinity conditions

Kazemi Arpanahi, Amir; Mahlooji, Mehrdad; Marashi, Seyed Keyvan; Mojaddam, Mani; Sakinejad, Tayeb

doi:10.22034/aes.2025.492027.1090

Evaluation of the effect of foliar zinc sulfate application on quality characteristics, yield, and yield components of barley cultivars under irrigation water salinity conditions

Document Type : Original research article

Authors

Amir Kazemi Arpanahi ¹

Mehrdad Mahlooji ²

Seyed Keyvan Marashi ³

Mani Mojaddam ³

Tayeb Sakinejad ³

¹ Ph. D. student, Department of Agronomy, Ahvaz branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran

² Horticulture Crops Research Department, Isfahan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Isfahan, Iran. and Department of Agronomy, Ahvaz branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran

³ Department of Agronomy, Ahvaz branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran

10.22034/aes.2025.492027.1090

Abstract

In order to evaluate the effect of zinc sulfate fertilizer on quality characteristics, yield and yield components of barley cultivars under irrigation water salinity (salinity over 6 dS/m), this research was conducted as split-plots in randomized complete blocks design with three replicates in Kabutarabad Agricultural Research Station in Isfahan. Foliar application of zinc sulfate concentration at three levels (0, 0.5 and 1%) was considered as main factor and three cultivars of Armaghan (stress sensitivity), Goharan (drought tolerant), and Mehr (salinity tolerant) were considered as sub-factors. The results demonstrated that foliar application of zinc sulfate at concentration of 1% significantly increased the chlorophyll b content by 14.8% compared to a lower concentration (0.5%). The highest chlorophyll a content (1.85 mg/g), leaf content (45.9 mg/kg), and grains/spike (37.2) with foliar application of 1% zinc sulfate was observed in Mehr cultivar. Given foliar application of 1% zinc sulfate, Mehr and Goharan cultivars had 21.3% and 15.3% higher leaf proline than Armaghan cultivar, respectively. Foliar application of zinc sulfate at concentration of 1% in Mehr, Goharan, and Armaghan cultivars significantly increased grain yield by 22.2%, 25.7% and 29.0%, respectively, compared to the non-foliar application of sulfate fertilizer. Generally, the results of the present study suggested that under irrigation water salinity conditions, Mehr cultivar is superior to Goharan and Armaghan cultivars in response to foliar application of zinc sulfate and the photosynthetic pigments produced higher yield and yield components.

Highlights

Foliar 1% zinc sulfate boosts barley yield by 22-29% under saline conditions.
Mehr cultivar excels with higher chlorophyll and yield with zinc sulfate.
Zinc sulfate at 1% increases chlorophyll b by 14.8% vs. 0.5% concentration.
Mehr and Goharan show 21.3% and 15.3% more proline than Armaghan with zinc.

Keywords

Harvest index

Leaf chlorophyll

Leaf proline

Micronutrients

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