Effect of foliar fertilization applied at different phenological stages on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield and grain nutrient content under greenhouse conditions

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of foliar fertilization applied at different phenological stages on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield, yield components, and grain nutrient content under controlled greenhouse conditions. The experiment was conducted using a randomized block design with four replications. Foliar fertilization treatments were applied at three key phenological stages: tillering (T), stem elongation (SE), and heading (H), along with their combinations (T+SE, T+H, SE+H, and T+SE+H). A control treatment without foliar fertilization was also included. Foliar fertilizers containing essential macro- and micronutrients were applied at a 0.5% concentration using a hand sprayer. The results demonstrated that foliar fertilization significantly improved wheat grain yield and nutrient composition compared to the control. The highest grain yield increase was observed in the T+SE and T+SE+H treatments, which enhanced yield by 71.01% and 73.45%, respectively, compared to the control. However, statistical analysis revealed no significant differences between these two treatments, suggesting that foliar fertilization at the tillering and stem elongation stages alone is sufficient to achieve maximum yield and nutrient uptake efficiency. Significant increases in nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and micronutrients such as iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn) were observed in response to foliar applications, while copper (Cu) content remained unchanged. These findings highlight the effectiveness of foliar fertilization in enhancing wheat productivity and nutrient content. Considering practical and economic aspects, the T+SE application is recommended as the most efficient approach. Nevertheless, further field trials are necessary to validate these results under real-world conditions and optimize foliar fertilization strategies for sustainable wheat production.

Keywords

• Foliar fertilization
• wheat yield
• phenological stages
• macro and micronutrients
• greenhouse experiment.

References

1. Abrol, V., Singh, B., Sharma, P., Singh, A.P., Chary, R., 2021. Influence of foliar fertilization of nutrients on growth, yield and economics of wheat under sub-tropical rainfed conditions. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences 10(8): 673-681.
2. Andrade, J.J., Oliveira, E.C.A., Lima, A.M.S., Amorim, G.P.S., Oliveira, E.S., Freire, F.J., Adelino, W.S.M., Oliveira Filho, E.C.A., 2024. Foliar fertilization improves the nitrogen nutrition of sugarcane. Agriculture 14 (11): 1984.
3. Awaad, M., Deshesh, T., 2019. Wheat growth and nitrogen use efficiency under drip irrigation on semi-arid region. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science 8(3): 229-236.
4. Bărdaş, M., Rusu, T., Popa, A., Russu, F., Șimon, A., Chețan, F., Racz, I., Popescu, S., Topan, C., 2024. Effect of foliar fertilization on the physiological parameters, yield and quality indices of the winter wheat. Agronomy 14(1): 73.
5. Bourak, K., Sare, A.R., Allaoui, A., Jijakli, M.H., Massart, S., 2023. Impact of two phosphorus fertilizer formulations on wheat physiology, rhizosphere, and rhizoplane microbiota. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 24(12): 9879.
6. Bouyoucous, G.J., 1951. A recalibration of the hydrometer method for making mechanical analysis of soils. Agronomy Journal 43: 434-438.
7. Bremner, J.M,, 1965. Total Nitrogen. In: Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 1 Physical and Mineralogical Methods. Black, C.A., Evans, D.D., White, J.L., Ensminger, L.E., Clark F.E. (Eds.), Soil Science Society of America. Madison, Wisconsin, USA. pp. 1149–1178.
8. Çolak Esetlili, B., Pekcan, T., Bayız, O., Telli Karaman, H., Ayata, M., Sarı, G., 2024. Optimizing olive production: The role of foliar fertilizers in boosting yield and quality. Horticulturae 10(11): 1147.

9. Dölger, J.L., Henningsen, J.N., Mühling, K.H., 2024. Antagonistic K/Mg ratios: is foliar application of MgSO4 a superior alternative to root resupply?. Plant and Soil 505: 747–761.
10. El-Hendawy, S., Mohammed, N., Al-Suhaibani, N., 2024. Enhancing wheat growth, physiology, yield, and water use efficiency under deficit irrigation by integrating foliar application of salicylic acid and nutrients at critical growth stages. Plants 13 (11): 1490.
11. Ferrari, M., Bertin, V., Bolla, P.K., Valente, F., Panozzo, A., Giannelli, G., Visioli, G., Vamerali, T., 2025. Application of the full nitrogen dose at decreasing rates by foliar spraying versus conventional soil fertilization in common wheat. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research 19: 101602.
12. Garg, M., Sharma, A., Vats, S., Tiwari, V., Kumari, A., Mishra, V., Krishania, M., 2021. Vitamins in cereals: a critical review of content, health effects, processing losses, bioaccessibility, fortification, and biofortification strategies for their improvement. Frontiers in Nutrition 8: 586815.
13. Gülser, C., Zharlygasov, Z., Kızılkaya, R., Kalimov, N., Akça, İ., Zharlygasov, Z., 2019. The effect of NPK foliar fertilization on yield and macronutrient content of grain in wheat under Kostanai-Kazakhstan conditions. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science 8(3): 275-281.
14. Heald, W.R., 1965. Calcium and Magnesium. In: Methods of soil analysis. Part 2. Chemical and microbiological properties. Black, C.A., Evans, D.D., White, J.L., Ensminger, L.E., Clark F.E. (Eds.), Soil Science Society of America. Madison, Wisconsin, USA. pp. 999-1010.
15. Jones, J.B., 2001. Laboratory guide for conducting soil tests and plant analyses. CRC Press, New York, USA. 363p.
16. Khalid, A., Hameed, A., Tahir, M.F., 2023. Wheat quality: A review on chemical composition, nutritional attributes, grain anatomy, types, classification, and function of seed storage proteins in bread making quality. Frontiers in Nutrition 10: 1053196.
17. Lindsay, W.L., Norvell, W.A., 1978. Development of a DTPA soil test for zinc, iron, manganese, and copper. Soil Science Society of America Journal 42(3): 421-428.
18. Loeppert, R.H., Suarez, D.L., 1996. Carbonate and gypsum. In: Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 3 Chemical Methods, 5.3. Sparks, D., Page, A., Helmke, P., Loeppert, R., Soltanpour, P.N., Tabatabai, M.A., Johnston C.T., Sumner M.E. (Eds.). American Society of Agronomy, Madison, Wisconsin, USA, pp. 437-475.
19. McBeath T.M., Facelli, E., Peirce, C.A.E., Arachchige, V.K., McLaughlin, M.J., 2020. Assessment of foliar-applied phosphorus fertiliser formulations to enhance phosphorus nutrition and grain production in wheat. Crop and Pasture Science 71(9): 795-806.
20. Olsen,S.R., Dean, L.A., 1965. Phosphorus. In: Methods of soil analysis. Part 2. Chemical and microbiological properties. Black, C.A., Evans, D.D., White, J.L., Ensminger, L.E., Clark F.E. (Eds.), Soil Science Society of America. Madison, Wisconsin, USA. pp. 1035-1049.
21. Pandey, D.K., Mishra, R., 2024. Towards sustainable agriculture: Harnessing AI for global food security. Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture 12: 72-84.
22. Peech, M., 1965. Hydrogen-Ion Activity. In: Methods of soil analysis. Part 2. Chemical and microbiological properties. Black, C.A., Evans, D.D., White, J.L., Ensminger, L.E., Clark F.E. (Eds.), Soil Science Society of America. Madison, Wisconsin, USA. pp. 914-926.
23. Peirce, C.A.E., McBeath, T.M., Priest, C., McLaughlin, M.J., 2019. The timing of application and ınclusion of a surfactant are important for absorption and translocation of foliar phosphoric acid by wheat leaves. Frontiers in Plant Science 10: 1532.
24. Pingali, P.L., Rosegrant, M.W., 1988. Supplying wheat for Asia's increasingly westernized diets. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 80(5): 954-959.
25. Pratt, P.F., 1965. Potassium. In: Methods of soil analysis. Part 2. Chemical and microbiological properties. Black, C.A., Evans, D.D., White, J.L., Ensminger, L.E., Clark F.E. (Eds.), Soil Science Society of America. Madison, Wisconsin, USA. pp. 1022-1030.
26. Rossmann, A., Buchner, P., Savill, G.P., Hawkesford, M.J., Scherf, K.A., Mühling, K.H., 2019. Foliar N application at anthesis alters grain protein composition and enhances baking quality in winter wheat only under a low N fertiliser regimen. European Journal of Agronomy 109: 125909.
27. Rowell, D.L., 1996. Soil Science: methods and applications. Longman, UK. 350p.
28. Saquee, F.S., Diakite, S., Kavhiza, N.J., Pakina, E., Zargar, M., 2023. The efficacy of micronutrient fertilizers on the yield formulation and quality of wheat grains. Agronomy 13(2): 566.
29. Shabnam, R., Tarek, M.H., Iqbal, M.T., 2018. Understanding phosphorus dynamics in wheat plant and growth response in a split-root system in acidic soil. Agriculture and Natural Resources 52(3): 259-265.
30. Shoormij, F., Mirlohi, A., Saeidi, G., Sabzalian, M.R., Shirvani, M., 2024. Zinc foliar application may alleviate drought stress in wheat species through physiological changes. Plant Stress 13: 100534.
31. Wairich, A., De Conti, L., Lamb, T.I., Keil, R., Neves, L.O., Brunetto, G., Sperotto, R.A., Ricachenevsky, F.K., 2022. Throwing copper around: How plants control uptake, distribution, and accumulation of copper. Agronomy 12(5): 994.
32. Walkley, A., Black, C.A., 1934. An examination of the Degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method. Soil Science 37(1): 29–38.
33. Wang, S., Tian, X., Liu, Q., 2020. The Effectiveness of Foliar Applications of zinc and biostimulants to increase zinc concentration and bioavailability of wheat grain. Agronomy 10(2): 178.
34. Wei, J., Yu, Q., Ding, J., Li, C., Zhu, X., Guo, W., Zhu, M., 2023. Physiological and agronomic mechanisms involved in ‘Source–Sink’ relationship in the high-yield population of weak-gluten wheat. Agronomy 13(1): 91.
35. Wu, X.L., Liu, M., Li, C.S., Mchugh, A.D., Li, M., Xiong, T., Liu, Y.B., Tang, Y.L., 2022. Source–sink relations and responses to sink–source manipulations during grain filling in wheat. Journal of Integrative Agriculture 21(6): 1593-1605.