Zinc and amino acids on wheat-soybean intercropping under no-till management

Abstract

Foliar fertilization with micronutrients and amino acids (AAs) has been used to increase the grain yield and quality of different crops. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of Zn and AAs foliar application on physiological parameters, nutritional status, yield components and grain yield of wheat-soybean intercropping under a no-till management. We used a randomized block experimental design consisting of eight treatments and four replicates. The treatments were five Zn rates (0, 1, 2, 4 and 8 kg ha⁻¹) and 2 L ha⁻¹ of AAs and three additional treatments: a control (without the Zn or AA application), 2 kg ha⁻¹ Zn and 2 kg ha⁻¹ Zn + 1 L AA. The treatments were applied by spraying during the final elongation stage and at the beginning of pre-earing for the wheat and in growth stage V6 for the soybean for two crop years in a Typic Oxisol (860 g kg⁻¹ clay). Zinc foliar fertilization increased the wheat grain Zn concentrations. The Zn rates and AA foliar fertilization in soil with did not affect the physiological parameters, nutrient status or yield components. The AA application at the different concentrations tested changed the soybean grain yield and the leaf N concentration. The results suggest that Zn and amino acids application increases the grains Zn concentration in the wheat, being an important strategy to agronomic biofortification.

Keywords:

• Glycine max
• Triticum aestivum
• nutritional status
• Zn use efficiency
• yield components
• physiological components

Acknowledgments

Our thanks to the Londrina State University (UEL) for performing the soil and plant (leaves and grains) analyses and to the Soil Fertility and Microbiology team at Embrapa Soja for their support in conducting the trial.