Response of wheat to zinc application under high SAR and saline conditions
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Date
2005
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Publisher
CCSHAU
Abstract
Four screen house experiments were conducted to study the relative tolerance of wheat
varieties to salinity and SAR and interactive effect of zinc with salinity and zinc with SAR on wheat crop.
In first experiment, the treatments consisted of two wheat varieties (WH-755 and SNH-17) and four
salinity levels (0, 6, 9 and 12 dSm-1) having chlorides and sulphates salts. In second experiment effect of
different SAR levels 10, 20, 30 and 40 (mmol/L)½ on wheat included two wheat varieties (WH-755 and
SNH-17). The third experiment interactive effect of different Zn levels (0, 5, 10 and 20 mg kg-1) soil at
fixed ECe (9 dSm-1) was investigated on the yield and nutrient uptake of two wheat varieties. The fourth
experiment on performance of wheat varieties (WH-755 and SNH-17) to different zinc application levels
(0, 5, 10 and 20 mg kg-1) under SAR 40 (mmol/L)½ condition. Each experiment was replicated thrice in a
factorial completely randomized design. In all the experiments the desired salinity and SAR levels were
created using chloride and sulphate salts of Na+, Ca2+ and Mg2+. With the increasing salinity from 0 to 12
dSm-1 there was a decrease in biomass, grain and straw yield of both the wheat varieties (WH-755 and
SNH-17). However, the magnitude of decrease in wheat yield depended upon level of salinity and wheat
cultivar. There was a decrease of 19.3, 22.4 and 32.8 percent in grain yield of wheat at 6, 9 and 12 dSm-1
salinity levels, respectively. The reduction in grain yield of wheat was more in case of WH-755 as
compared to variety SNH-17. The wheat variety SNH-17 found to be relatively more tolerant to salinity
as compared to WH-755. The overall straw yield of both the varieties were statistically at par with each
other and decreased by 28.33, 37.54 and 43.70 percent at 6, 9 and 12 dSm-1 with increasing salinity,
respectively as compared to non-saline. The grain and straw yield of both the varieties reduced with the
increasing SAR levels. The overall reduction in grain and straw yield were 26% and 19%, respectively, at
SAR 40 in comparison to SAR 10.
The increasing levels of Zn from 0 to 20 mg Zn kg-1 soil increased the grain and straw
yield of wheat by 27.5% and 42%, respectively at ECe 9 dSm-1. Application of zinc under high SAR 40 (m
mol/L)½ increased the grain yield by 42% when Zn levels increased from 0 to 20 mg Zn kg-1 soil. The
overall concentration of zinc increased by 24.78, 55.69 and 60.66 percent at 5, 10 and 20 mg Zn kg-1 soil
in a saline soil (ECe 9 dSm-1) and at a fixed SAR [40 (m mol/L)½]. The overall increase in Zn concentration
and uptake were 22.88 and 32.37, 9.45 and 71.18 and 62.83 and 74.96 percent at 5, 10 and 20 mg kg-1
soil, respectively.
The uptake of N, P, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn and Cu except K by wheat straw decreased with
increasing zinc application levels from 0 to 20 mg kg-1 soil, under both the saline (ECe 9dSm-1) and high
SAR [40(m mol/L)½] soil conditions. Increasing levels of Zn had appreciable ameliorative role in saline
and sodic conditions.