Repeated foliar zinc applications enhance shoot biomass, zinc accumulation, and mineral composition of sorghum across contrasting soil-moisture regimes in a calcareous soil

Ibadulla Tautenov; Serik Bekzhanov; Laura Tokhetova; Nurali Nurgaliyev; Karlygash Kaimoldaeva; Samalbek Kossanov; Ainur Demesinova

doi:10.18393/ejss.2010187

Repeated foliar zinc applications enhance shoot biomass, zinc accumulation, and mineral composition of sorghum across contrasting soil-moisture regimes in a calcareous soil

Abstract

Water deficit and low zinc (Zn) availability frequently co-occur in calcareous soils, constraining sorghum growth and tissue mineral status. This greenhouse study evaluated whether the timing and repetition of foliar Zn application improved aboveground biomass, whole-shoot Zn accumulation, and mineral composition of grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) cv. Tagamdyk-2017) under contrasting soil-moisture regimes. A completely randomized 3 × 8 factorial experiment with three replicates combined soil moisture maintained continuously from sowing to harvest at 100% (T1), 75% (T2), or 50% (T3) of field capacity with eight foliar schedules: a water-sprayed control (D0); single applications at the 4–5-leaf (D1), panicle-initiation (D2), or flowering-initiation (D3) stage; three two-stage combinations; and a three-stage D1+D2+D3 program. After 105 d, soil moisture and foliar Zn schedule significantly affected fresh and dry biomass (P < 0.01), whereas their interaction was nonsignificant. Mean dry biomass declined from 34.3 ± 0.5 g pot⁻¹ at T1 to 27.9 ± 0.4 and 20.4 ± 0.3 g pot⁻¹ at T2 and T3, respectively. Across moisture regimes, D1+D2+D3 produced the highest mean fresh biomass (133.0 ± 3.2 g pot⁻¹), dry biomass (29.9 ± 0.8 g pot⁻¹), shoot Zn concentration (34.0 ± 0.8 mg kg⁻¹), and Zn uptake (1.04 ± 0.03 mg pot⁻¹), compared with 114.2 ± 2.5 g pot⁻¹, 25.5 ± 0.6 g pot⁻¹, 14.2 ± 0.3 mg kg⁻¹, and 0.37 ± 0.01 mg pot⁻¹, respectively, in D0. The soil-moisture × foliar-Zn interaction was significant for shoot Zn concentration (P < 0.05) and Zn uptake (P < 0.01). Repeated Zn application was also associated with higher shoot N, P, K, Fe, Cu, and Mn concentrations but did not eliminate the adverse effects of severe soil-moisture limitation. Under the conditions of this pot experiment, repeated foliar Zn application improved whole-shoot Zn status and mineral composition, while soil moisture remained the dominant determinant of biomass production.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Project Number

IRN AP23489478

Thanks

This work was supported by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan under grant IRN AP23489478, “Ecological testing of domestic and foreign grain sorghum varieties on saline soils of rice systems in the Aral Sea region of Kazakhstan” (2024–2026). The authors are grateful to the anonymous reviewers for their careful evaluation and constructive comments, which contributed to improving the quality of the manuscript.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Soil Sciences and Plant Nutrition (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Ibadulla Tautenov This is me
0000-0002-6837-1970
Kazakhstan

Serik Bekzhanov ^* This is me
0000-0002-7876-8779
Kazakhstan

Laura Tokhetova
0000-0003-2053-6956
Kazakhstan

Nurali Nurgaliyev This is me
0000-0001-6132-1818
Kazakhstan

Karlygash Kaimoldaeva This is me
0000-0002-3019-7989
Kazakhstan

Samalbek Kossanov This is me
0000-0002-3877-7566
Kazakhstan

Ainur Demesinova This is me
0000-0001-5399-0421
Kazakhstan

Publication Date

October 5, 2026

Submission Date

April 2, 2026

Acceptance Date

July 27, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 15 Number: 4

DOI

https://doi.org/10.18393/ejss.2010187

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA44WC76PU

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Tautenov, I., Bekzhanov, S., Tokhetova, L., Nurgaliyev, N., Kaimoldaeva, K., Kossanov, S., & Demesinova, A. (2026). Repeated foliar zinc applications enhance shoot biomass, zinc accumulation, and mineral composition of sorghum across contrasting soil-moisture regimes in a calcareous soil. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science, 15(4), 568-579. https://doi.org/10.18393/ejss.2010187

AMA

1.Tautenov I, Bekzhanov S, Tokhetova L, et al. Repeated foliar zinc applications enhance shoot biomass, zinc accumulation, and mineral composition of sorghum across contrasting soil-moisture regimes in a calcareous soil. EJSS. 2026;15(4):568-579. doi:10.18393/ejss.2010187

Chicago

Tautenov, Ibadulla, Serik Bekzhanov, Laura Tokhetova, et al. 2026. “Repeated Foliar Zinc Applications Enhance Shoot Biomass, Zinc Accumulation, and Mineral Composition of Sorghum across Contrasting Soil-Moisture Regimes in a Calcareous Soil”. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science 15 (4): 568-79. https://doi.org/10.18393/ejss.2010187.

EndNote

Tautenov I, Bekzhanov S, Tokhetova L, Nurgaliyev N, Kaimoldaeva K, Kossanov S, Demesinova A (October 1, 2026) Repeated foliar zinc applications enhance shoot biomass, zinc accumulation, and mineral composition of sorghum across contrasting soil-moisture regimes in a calcareous soil. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science 15 4 568–579.

IEEE

[1]I. Tautenov et al., “Repeated foliar zinc applications enhance shoot biomass, zinc accumulation, and mineral composition of sorghum across contrasting soil-moisture regimes in a calcareous soil”, EJSS, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 568–579, Oct. 2026, doi: 10.18393/ejss.2010187.

ISNAD

Tautenov, Ibadulla - Bekzhanov, Serik - Tokhetova, Laura - Nurgaliyev, Nurali - Kaimoldaeva, Karlygash - Kossanov, Samalbek - Demesinova, Ainur. “Repeated Foliar Zinc Applications Enhance Shoot Biomass, Zinc Accumulation, and Mineral Composition of Sorghum across Contrasting Soil-Moisture Regimes in a Calcareous Soil”. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science 15/4 (October 1, 2026): 568-579. https://doi.org/10.18393/ejss.2010187.

JAMA

1.Tautenov I, Bekzhanov S, Tokhetova L, Nurgaliyev N, Kaimoldaeva K, Kossanov S, Demesinova A. Repeated foliar zinc applications enhance shoot biomass, zinc accumulation, and mineral composition of sorghum across contrasting soil-moisture regimes in a calcareous soil. EJSS. 2026;15:568–579.

MLA

Tautenov, Ibadulla, et al. “Repeated Foliar Zinc Applications Enhance Shoot Biomass, Zinc Accumulation, and Mineral Composition of Sorghum across Contrasting Soil-Moisture Regimes in a Calcareous Soil”. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science, vol. 15, no. 4, Oct. 2026, pp. 568-79, doi:10.18393/ejss.2010187.

Vancouver

1.Ibadulla Tautenov, Serik Bekzhanov, Laura Tokhetova, Nurali Nurgaliyev, Karlygash Kaimoldaeva, Samalbek Kossanov, Ainur Demesinova. Repeated foliar zinc applications enhance shoot biomass, zinc accumulation, and mineral composition of sorghum across contrasting soil-moisture regimes in a calcareous soil. EJSS. 2026 Oct. 1;15(4):568-79. doi:10.18393/ejss.2010187