The Effect of Foliar Application of Micronutrients on Quality Traits and Yield of Bam Population of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

Subject Areas : Journal of Crop Ecophysiology

hojjat safari kamal abadi ¹ , Seyed Alireza Valadabadi ² , Jahanfar Daneshian ³ , Hosein Heydari Sharifabad ⁴ , Amin Baghizade ⁵

1 - Ph.D. Student, Department of Agronomy, Takestan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Takestan, Iran
2 - Associate Professor, Department of Agronomy and Plant breeding, Takestan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Takestan, Iran.
3 - Professor, Seed and Plant Improvement Research Institute, Tehran, Iran.
4 - Professor, Department of Agronomy, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
5 - Associate Professor, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.

Received: 2016-12-03 Accepted : 2017-08-13 Published : 2019-06-22

Keywords: Foliar application, Photosynthetic pigments, Microelements, Rhizobium, Protein rate,

Abstract :

To investigate the effect of foliar application of micronutrients on chlorophyll and protein content and yield of alfalafa populations and evaluate economics obtain cost- effect, an experiment was carried out in split split plot by time with four replications using a randomized complete blocks desighn at the Shahid Zendeh-Ruh Agricultural Research Center of Kerman. Experimental treatments were micronutrients with five levels: Fe, Zn, Mn, Fe+Zn+Mn and control (without nutrient applications), bacterial inoculation, with three levels: Rhizobium melilloti, Rhizobium legumenasarum and without inoculation. Foliar application had a positive significant effect on all traits under study and increased chlorophyll and protein contents, and alfalfa forage yeild. The highest fresh forage yield belonged to second cutting (71 t.ha-1) by using combined micronutrient foliar application and to third cutting (68 t.ha-1) by using Rhizobium leguminosarum. The highest protein rate was observed in Mn foliar application and Rhizobium meliloti inoculation at second cutting by 50%. Based on the results obtained it can be concluded that foliar application of micronutrients and inoculation with Rhizobium bacteria improves morphological characteristics of Bami population of alfalfa in Kerman region.

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