Effects of Different Zinc Application Methods on Agronomic Traits of Durum Wheat in a Semi-Arid Anatolian Environment

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the effects of different zinc doses and application methods on grain yield, yield components and plant zinc concentrations of durum wheat (cv. Diyarbakir 81) in Southeastern Anatolia region between 2000 and 2002 years. The treatments were soil, seed and leaf applications of zinc to wheat. The amounts of 0, 1800, 3600 and 5400 g zinc ton^-1 seed^-1 for the seed application, 0.0, 2.3, 4.6 and 6.9 kg zinc ha^-1 for soil application and 0.0, 110, 330 and 550 g zinc ha^-1 for the leaf application were used. The results showed that zinc doses significantly affected all the investigated properties. The highest value for all investigated properties, except protein content, was obtained by the highest zinc doses. Compared to the control, grain yield at third and fourth doses increased 15.0 and 17.4 %, over all application methods, respectively. Yield components, i.e., spike length, spikelet number, grain number per spike and thousand grain weight were increased approximately 10 % upon the addition of third and fourth doses. Application methods significantly affected to grain yield, zinc concentration, protein content of grain and plant height. The highest doses of soil, leaf and seed applications increased grain yield up to 26.9, 12.5 and 12.2 %, respectively. The application of 6.9 kg zinc ha- ¹ to soil or 5400 g zinc ton^-1 seed^-1 to seed or 550 g zinc ha^-1 solution to the plants may be more efficient in terms of their economically feasibility and yield increases.