The effect of using some high-use and low-use elements on single cross KSC 703 corn variety as a second crop in Azarshahr, Iran

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-4934590/v1

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The effect of using some high-use and low-use elements on single cross KSC 703 corn variety as a second crop in Azarshahr, Iran

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4934590/v1

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Corn plant is of great importance for the sufficient and economical production of plant-based proteins both in the world and in Iran. Corn cultivation in Iran contributes greatly to the production of animal protein as well. In addition, starch, glucose and oil obtained from this plant are of great importance in terms of raw material in the country's economy. In order to investigate the effect of using some low-use and high-use elements on the yield of single cross KSC 703 corn variety, an experiment was carried out in the 2022 crop year in the form of randomized complete blocks in 11 levels and in 3 replications in Azar Shahr, Iran. The traits that were measured included the plant height, length of cob, diameter of cob, number of leaves, Leaf surface area، number of seeds in cob, number of row seeds in cob and number of florets in the tassel. The results of the analysis of variance showed that all the traits investigated in the experiment were under the influence of different fertilizer treatments were applied and they were significant at the level of statistical probability of 1%, which shows the effect of the treatments on the studied traits. According to the comparison of the average traits in all investigated traits, the use of nitrogen and phosphorus is 50% more in addition to micronutrient elements, iron, manganese, and copper, with phosphorus being 50% more in addition to all three elements, iron, manganese, and copper. In the evaluation of performance among different experimental treatments, it was found that the use of iron manganese sulfate treatment with nitrogen and phosphorus 50% more than the soil test has increased the yield by 82.60% compared to the control.

Agronomy

Corn treatment combination

micronutrients and yield

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most important cereal crops in the world’s agricultural economy both as food for human and feed for animals. The crop has high production potential and adaptability to wide range of environment hence called as ‘Queen of Cereals’ (Jeyasri et al., 2021). After World War II, the average corn yield increased from 2.2 tons per hectare to 6 tons per hectare. Currently, corn is cultivated in 22–25% of the world's agricultural lands (Erenstein et al., 2022).

Seventy-three percentage of corn produced in the world is used in feed production, while the remaining 27% is used in human nutrition. Corn usage rates vary according to the development level of countries. In developing countries, 46% used in animal nutrition and 54% used in human nutrition and as an industrial raw material. In developed countries, corn is used 90% in animal nutrition and 10% in human nutrition and as an industrial raw material (Jiao et al., 2022; Ali et al., 2023; Ullah et al., 2023).

Among grains, corn ranks third in the world in terms of planting and production, after wheat and barley. Corn production in Iran has increased significantly in recent years, especially due to the increase in irrigable agricultural lands. Corn is planted as a second crop in agricultural areas with suitable climate conditions and irrigable, and provides a high-quality, abundant and cheap feed source for dairy and livestock breeders (Khalid et al., 2023; Kakar et al., 2023).

11% of the daily calories consumed by people in the world come from corn. This rate is 4% in developed countries. In developing countries, it increases to 27%. Corn has a wider area of use in the industry compared to other grains due to the high yield per unit area, the ease of processes such as cultivation technique, harvesting, transportation and storage, and its ability to be continuously improved (Ahmed et al., 2023; Iftikhar et al., 2024).

Plant growth is the result of complex processes in which the plant saturates organic compounds using solar energy, carbon dioxide, water and nutrients. In total, 21 to 24 elements are necessary for plant growth. The first nutrients for plant growth are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. In addition to the essential nutrients, there are other nutrients that are used by the plant in a smaller amount (Lavic et al., 2023). Since most of the micronutrients are related to the enzyme system of plants, in the case of deficiency of any one of them, the growth of the crop is interrupted or reduced, and in the case of severe deficiency, flowers and seeds are not formed (Nazif et al., 2006) despite these soils lacking in nutrients are scattered all over the world, but this deficiency is mainly due to the low mobility of these elements (Wang et al., 2022).

Corn absorbs a lot of nutrients from the soil, so it needs relatively large amounts of nutrients during the growth period. Nutrient elements play a major role in the structure of the plant. The required amount of nutrient elements in plant tissues is equal to 1000 micrograms per unit of dry matter or more. In terms of corn nutrition, among the 13 required nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are more important. Of course, depending on the environmental and soil conditions, some other elements can also be growth limiting factors (Ghaibi and Malkouti, 1999)

Micronutrients, such as Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu and so on, are indispensable for life. When the concentrations of micronutrients in soil are excessively low, their supply is insufficient to meet the needs of organisms. Conversely, when their concentrations in soil are excessively high, they can have toxic effects. They have a concentration of less than 100 micrograms per gram of plant dry matter. The low need of plants for microelements can be due to the participation of these elements in enzymatic reactions. They also act as components of growth hormones more than the main compounds of plants such as structural and protoplasmic tissues. The corn plant needs micro elements such as iron, manganese, copper, zinc, boron, and molybdenum as low-consumption food elements in different stages to grow and produce proper yield (Amissah et al., 2024).

An experiment in the form of a randomized block design with 11 treatments and 3 repetitions in the crop year of 2022 was established. The experimental field was located in the city of Azarshahr, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. The KSC 703 hybrid corn variety originating in Iran was used. The variety mainly used as fodder. The results of the analysis of the elements of the soil sample, which was taken from a depth of 0–40 cm, are the basis for calculating the amount of fertilizer required per hectare, and based on that, the fertilizer treatments are the following description was designed. Also, analysis of variance and comparison of averages have been done with the help of MSTAT software.

Amount of fertilizer based on soil analysis was:

1-Nitrogen: 184 kg per hectare from the urea fertilizer

2-Phosphorus: 69 kg per hectare from the triple super phosphate fertilizer.

3- Manganese: 9.6 kg per hectare from the manganese sulfate fertilizer

4-Iron: 1.5 kg per hectare from the iron sequestration fertilizer

5-Copper: 4.2 kg per hectare from the copper sulfate fertilizer

Fertilizer treatments:

T1: Control

T2: Nitrogen + Phosphorus

T3: T2 + Iron + Manganese

T4: Nitrogen (50%) + Phosphorus

T5: T4 + Iron + Manganese

T6: Nitrogen + Phosphorus (50%)

T7: T6 + Iron + Manganese

T8:T3 + Copper sulfate

T9: Copper sulfate + Iron + Manganese

T10: T5 + Copper sulfate

T11: T7 + Copper sulfate

The analysis of the variance of the traits are given in Tables 1 and 2. The effect of different treatments on plant height, ear diameter, ear length, number of seed rows and number of seeds in an ear were significant at the 0.01 probability level. The significance of the traits among the investigated treatments indicates the significant effect of the different treatments applied on the above traits, so that different treatments have shown different values on the traits.

Table 1

Variance analysis of some investigated traits and respectively significant at the 0.05 and 0.01 probability level
		Average of squares
References change	Degrees of freedom	Bush height	Number of leaves	Leaf surface area	Stem diameter	Number of florets in tassel	Cob length
Block Treatment Error	2 10 20	6.939 804.9** 6.539	0.576 12.42** 0.442	323.485 6258.2** 392,018	2.406 6.79** 1.169	0.848 9.073** 0.582	1.405 6.634** 0.321
CV%	-	14.12	15.10	9.08	14.11	20.16	15.21
* 0.01; **0.05

Table 2

Variance analysis of some investigated traits and respectively significant at the 0.05 and 0.01 probability level.
		Average of squares
References change	Degrees of freedom	Cob diameter	Number of seeds in cob	Number of seed rows	Number of seeds in row	yield per hectare
Block Treatment Error	2 10 20	1.623 38.64** 0.552	2800.121 13889.5** 2617.721	0.576 3.630** 0.276	3.758 12.4** 0.991	1.629 311.3** 4.080
CV%	-	16.14	10.13	18.10	20.19	18.15
* 0.01; **0.05

3.1. Plant height

The maximum plant height was obtained in T8, T5 and T10 treatments (Fig. 1). In general, the increase in plant height due to the use of micronutrient elements along with nitrogen and phosphorus were observed. Previously, the presence of iron and manganese along with nitrogen causes a significant increase in height in sugarcane. By participating in the activity of enzymes and by affecting nitrogen fixation, iron and manganese increases cell growth and as a result increases the height (Helal et al., 2006). The other researchers have reported that the plant height of sugarcane increases with the use of iron, copper, zinc, magnesium and boron in a mixture (Jamro et al., 2002). Unavailability of any micronutrient can restrict growth processes and subsequent maize yield. Manganese and iron increase photosynthetic activity and maintain good growth for high yields. Tariq et al. (2014) indicated plant height increase in maize with micro elements applications on soil.

3.2. The number of leaves

The increase in the number of leaves in the T5 treatment was more than the other treatments (Fig. 2). Among the positive effects of nitrogen in plants, we can mention the production and increase of starch materials, vegetative growth, and the increase of green parts of the plant, such as leaves, to ensure rapid growth and development of foliage (Abunyewa and Mercer-Quarshie, 2004; Fathi, 2022).

3.3. Leaf surface areas

According to the average leaf area of treatments, the use of copper sulfate along with iron and manganese and with the combination of nitrogen and phosphorus resulted 50% (T10 and T8) increased the leaf area in corn (Fig. 3). The average increase was 39.97% compared to the control. With the increase in leaf area, photosynthetic activities and hydrocarbon production by the plant increase (Malkuti et al., 2008).

3.4. Stem diameter

According to the average stem diameter results (Fig. 4), use of copper sulfate along with manganese and iron treatments, along with nitrogen and phosphorus, has increased the stem diameter in corn by 47.59% compared to the control (T10) (Fig. 4). Nitrogen and phosphorus increase the diameter of the stem and as a result the strength of corn against weed from the stem area. According to the report of the researchers, copper is important for the synthesis of hemicellulose, which plays a role in the strength of the cell wall (Printz et al., 2016). In higher plant crops, copper (Cu) acts as essential cofactor of numerous proteins. While the definitive number of these so-called cuproproteins is unknown, they perform central functions in plant cells. As micronutrient, a minimal amount of Cu is needed to ensure cellular functions.

3.5. Number of florets in the tassel

According to the average number of florets in the tassel (Fig. 5), with the presence of copper sulfate in the used fertilizer compounds (T10, T8), the number of florets in the tassel was increased. The number of florets in the corn tassel has increased by 39–40% compared to the control (Fig. 5).

3.6. Cob length

According to the average cob length result (Fig. 6), the highest cob length was obtained in the treatment T10 and the lowest in the control treatment (T1): Thus, the application of iron, nitrogen and phosphorus along with copper sulfate was effective in increasing the cob length and caused 40.91% increase in the cob length compared to the control (Fig. 6). The cob length is one of effective trait on corn performance, and its increase has a positive effect on increasing corn yield. Malkuti et al. (2004) reported that the balanced consumption of micronutrient elements, especially copper and iron along with nitrogen and phosphorus, increases the length of corn cobs. Lee (2007) reported that increasing the balanced concentration of copper along with other elements increases the length of corn cobs. Bergel et al. (2006) reported that the reduction of cob length is due to the antagonistic effect of phosphorus, which causes copper deficiency.

3.7. Cob length

According to the average cob diameter results (Fig. 7), application of manganese, iron, nitrogen and phosphorus along with copper sulfate (T10) is effective in increasing the cob diameter, which is 29.92% increase compared to the control (Fig. 7).

3.8. Number of seeds in cob

According to the average number of seeds in cob results (Fig. 8), the use of nitrogen and phosphorus along with iron, manganese and copper (T10) has increased the number of seeds in cob by 42.48% compared to the control (Table 8). Increasing number of seeds also increases the yield of the corn crop. According to the above results, it can be pointed out that the reason for the increase in the number of seeds in cob, is directly related to pollination and since copper has a significant effect on pollination in addition to its effect on vegetative growth. The act of insemination is involved. In addition to increasing the durability of pollen, the cause of this is attributed to factors such as the lack of starch in the pollen and preventing its release from the ovary and the opening of the stamen cell wall.

3.9. Number of seed rows

According to the average number of seed rows result, T1O treatment has increased the number of seed row by 23.17% compared to the control (Fig. 9). The number of seed rows is considered to be an effective trait in corn, so its increase in this treatment combination increases the yield in corn. Kazemi (2000) reported that the use of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, along with the micronutrients iron and copper, significantly increased the number of seed rows in the cob in corn.

3.10. Number of seeds in row

According to the average number of seed result, T10 treatment has increased the number of seed in the corn row by 29.92% compared to the control (Fig. 10), which can be justified by the fact that the application of copper has an effect on flowering and inoculation and increases the number of inoculated seeds as a result of the increase of full grains at the cob.

3.11. Yield per hectare

T10 treatment combination increased the yield of corn per hectare with the increase of 84.80% than the control (Fig. 11). Tuna et al. (2008) conducted more than 25 experiments in Bihar, India, showed that in 60% of the plants showed a positive reaction to the use of copper. Chiba et al. (1994) conducted a research on wheat and investigated the effects of different amounts of copper from zero to 640 mg per kg of soil and concluded that grain yield and dry matter of wheat with the use of copper up to 10 mg per kg of soil has a rapid increase from 10 to 20 mg per kg and a decrease from 20 to 40 mg per kg of soil. The use of more than 40 mg of copper per gram of soil showed signs of poisoning. These researchers have reported the critical limit of copper in soil to be 0.4 and in flag leaves to be 7 mg/kg. Jiang et a. (2024) revealed effects of different fertilization practices on maize yield in China. They found that maize yield was positively correlated with annual average rainfall under the nitrogen and potassium fertilizer treatments. Yield is an important basis for plant production, and fertilization is one of the main exogenous input pathways to maintain their continuous balance. In this study, the i data analysis showed that under different fertilization measures, chemical fertilizer had the obvious effect on improving crop yield in corn. This may be due to the fact that chemical fertilizers are effective in provid- ing specific nutrients to promote crop growth and increase crop yields, thereby increasing crop residue inputs and thus soil organic matter content.

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors report no declarations of interest.

Author contributions

R… C…. and M…. E. conceived and designed the research, analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript, review and editing, supervised and validated the experiment; all authors read the data and approved the final manuscript.

Acknowledgements

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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The effect of using some high-use and low-use elements on single cross KSC 703 corn variety as a second crop in Azarshahr, Iran

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Version 1

Abstract

Figures

1. Introduction

2. Materials and Methods

3. Results

3.1. Plant height

3.2. The number of leaves

3.3. Leaf surface areas

3.4. Stem diameter

3.5. Number of florets in the tassel

3.6. Cob length

3.7. Cob length

3.8. Number of seeds in cob

3.9. Number of seed rows

3.10. Number of seeds in row

3.11. Yield per hectare

Declarations

Declaration of Competing Interest

Author contributions

Acknowledgements

References

Additional Declarations

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