Effect Of Zinc Fetilizer And Water On Maize Growth And Quality In Zinc Deficient Area Of Dryland

Zinc deficiency seriously affected crop growth and quality, also caused human zincdeficiency through the soil-plant-human system which lead to a variety of diseases. It couldimpact on a large population all over the world. Zinc deficiency areas were widely distributedin China. Zn biofortification in edible parts of crops was the safe and efficient way to solvethe problem. Maize was one of the major food crops in the Loess Plateau region, China.Two-year field experiments were conducted, which focused on the effect of different methodsand different dosage to soil of Zn applications on maize growth and quality, the moistureeffect with Zn application and the fertilizer residual effect. The main conclusions are asfollows:1. In these trials, yields of maize and NPK concentrations in grain were not significantaffected by various Zn fertilizer methods, including soil application, foliar application and soilcombined foliar application. Zn concentration in grain was increased significantly by12.7%to38.2%both with foliar application and foliar combined soil application methods, and Znintakes in grain or the whole plant were increased significantly by21%to40.8%with thesame Zn application methods, while no difference was found between two nitrogen levels. Znrecoveries in grain and whole plant were significant higher with Zn foliar method than otherZn application methods in two nitrogen levels.2. In these trials, yields of maize were not increased with Zn application dosages in soil.Zn concentration appeared with an increase followed decrease with the increase of Zn dosages,the concentration of grain reached25.97mg kg^-1the highest with Zn dosage of22.7kg ha^-1at2010, while the Zn intakes of grain and whole plant increased28.0%and23.8%the highestwith the same dosage, and the Zn recoveries of grain and the whole plant decreasedsignificantly with the increase of Zn dosage in2010. The Zn concentration of grain reached22.76mg kg^-1the highest with Zn dosage of13.6kg ha^-1at2011, while the Zn intakes ofgrain and whole plant increased21.1%and24.6%the highest with the same dosage, and thesame with the Zn recoveries of grain and the whole plant. Zn concentrations in other organsinclude stem, husk and cob appeared with an increase followed decrease with the increase ofZn dosages. 3. Biomass and yields of maize were not affected significantly with additional watersupplement in this trial condition. Phosphorus and potassium concentration of maize grain,stem, leaf, cob and husk were also increased significantly with water supplement, while Znconcentration increased in all organs except grain with water supplement. Iron, copper andManganese concentrations in organs can be increased either. Zn intakes of maize organs wereincreased with water supplement, while the proportion of Zn intakes in grain decreased withthe increase of stem, leaf and cob.4. Soil Zn residual of wheat planted in the former season did not significantly affect thebiomass and yield of maize in the current season, while it can significantly increase the Znconcentration in stem and husk of maize, with increase of21.3%and16.2%, while did notaffect the micronutrients in other organs.5. Available Zn concentration in the rhizosphere soil of maize significantly increasedwith increase of soil Zn application, and growth stage extended either. Available Mnconcentration in the rhizosphere soil significantly decreased with growth stage extended.Available Zn concentration in topsoil at harvest can be increased with Zn application in soil,and soil Zn residual either.