Contribution of soil and foliar fertilization of nitrogen and sulfur on physiological and quality assessment of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Beena Saeed, Hasina Gul, Farman Ali, Amir Zaman Khan, Shazma Anwar, Nasrullah  , Sadia Alam, Salma Khalid, Alia Naz, Hina Fayyaz, Azra  

Department of Agriculture, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, Pakistan.
Department of Agronomy, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan.
Department of Biotechnology, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, Pakistan.
Department of Environmental Sciences, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, Pakistan.
Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan.
Department of Plant Pathology, The University of Agriculture, Mardan Campus, Pakistan.
Department of Soil Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan.

DOI: 10.4236/ns.2013.59125                

Abstract

Nitrogen and sulfur supplies have a strong influence on the physical characteristics of crop as well as on the quality and quantity of wheat storage proteins, which play an important role in bread-making process. In order to evaluate the contribution of soil and foliar fertilization of nitrogen and sulfur on physiological and quality assessment of wheat, a field trail was carried out having randomized complete block design with four replications and eight different treatments of nitrogen and sulfur combinations were allotted to plots at different growth stages. Results indicated that highest protein content (12.82%), maximum moisture content (10.9%), maximum crop growth rate and maximum absolute growth rate were recorded when the wheat crop was fertilized with T₈ [Nitrogen @ 60 kg·ha^-1 at sowing + 40 kg·ha^-1 at tillering + 10 kg·ha^-1 at anthesis (spray) + 10 kg·ha^-1 after anthesis (spray)] + [Sulfur @ 15 kg·ha^-1 at sowing + 10 kg·ha^-1 at anthesis (spray) + 5 kg·ha^-1 after anthesis (spray)], while control practice resulted low moisture content, low protein, minimum crop growth rate and low absolute growth rate. Among physiological components of wheat cultivars, leaf area index was enhanced when fertilization was done with T₅ (Sulfur @ 15 kg·ha^-1 at sowing + 10 kg·ha^-1 at anthesis + 5 kg·ha^-1 after anthesis). In all the recorded observations,concerning experiment wheat cultivar Pirsabaq2005 showed appreciable response as compared with other variety (Khyber-87). Thus it is possible to obtain maximum physiological traits as well as bread-making quality of wheat through soil and foliar application of nitrogen and sulfur.

Keywords

Absolute Growth Rate; Crop Growth Rate; Leaf Area Index; Moisture and Protein Contents

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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