Effect of Foliar Application of Water-Soluble Fertilizers on Growth and Yield of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

Direct fertilizer application to leaves stimulates leaf activity, which directly affects the plant's water uptake and promotes root growth. Foliar fertilizers can therefore hasten the uptake of nutrients from the soil, which is advantageous for plants that need urgent nutrient intervention. A field experiment was carried out at Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh during rabi season of 2019-20 to evaluate effect of foliar spray of water-soluble fertilizers on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth and yield. The experimental trial consists of 12 treatments with 3 replication and randomized block design. The results of the experiment revealed that the growth parameters viz., plant height and number of effective tillers metre-1 row length at harvest increased significantly with the application of T2 + foliar spray of 19:19:19 @ 0.5% at 60 DAS & 90 days after sowing (DAS) whereas plant population were not affect significantly by application of different treatments. There was also significant improvement in grain and straw yields were observed with the application of T8 over 75% recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) and 100% RDF.