Effect of Foliar Fertilization on the Physiological Parameters, Yield and Quality Indices of the Winter Wheat

• Published in: Agronomy (Basel) 2024-01, Vol.14 (1), p.73
• Main Authors: Bărdaş, Marius, Rusu, Teodor, Popa, Alin, Russu, Florin, Șimon, Alina, Chețan, Felicia, Racz, Ionuț, Popescu, Sorina, Topan, Călin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural production; Agricultural research; assimilation; Cereals; Crops; Drought; Droughts; Environmental conditions; Environmental indicators; Fertilization; Fertilizers; Flowering; foliar fertilizer; Gas analyzers; Gluten; Grain; Leaves; Mineral fertilizers; Nitrogen; Nutrients; Nutrition; Parameters; Photosynthesis; Physiological effects; Physiology; Plant growth; Productivity; Proteins; quality indices; R&D; Research & development; Romania; Transpiration; Triticum aestivum; United Kingdom; Wheat; Winter wheat; yield
• ISSN: 2073-4395; 2073-4395
• DOI: 10.3390/agronomy14010073

The main purpose of the paper is to highlight the impact of foliar fertilization during the various growth stages of winter wheat and its role in achieving high-quality and superior production. Foliar fertilizers play a crucial role in calibrating and forming active growth intervals correlated with productivity factors. The research was conducted over a two-year period using the Andrada winter wheat variety. It involved the application of four different foliar fertilizers: basic mineral fertilization, FoliMAX Orange (two treatments and three treatments), FoliMAX CerealsMIX (two treatments and three treatments), and Microfert U (three treatments). Depending on the treatment, two or three applications of foliar with foliar fertilizers were carried out at various stages of winter wheat development, including pre-flowering and grain formation. The research method used to record physiological parameters was non-destructive (the leaves were not detached from the plant) and was based on the use of the CIRAS-3 foliar gas analyzer, which simultaneously determines several physiological and environmental indicators. As an indicator read by the device, photosynthesis was chosen for leaf temperature and leaf transpiration, correlated with production and quality indices. By applying the foliar fertilizer treatments to the wheat culture, we managed to increase production and improve the quality. After using different foliar fertilizers, the assimilation and physiological parameters had higher values of over 30 μmolm−2·s−1. Foliar fertilization applied to the winter wheat variety resulted in an average production increase between 450 and 765 kg·ha−1 and quality indices with a protein percentage between 11.5 and 12.6%, gluten content between 21.5 to 24.0% and the Zeleny index between 29.0 and 39.0%, and the mass of one thousand grains was between 48.0 and 50.5 g.