Indian Journal of Science and Technology

Abstract

A farm experiment with corn grown on Zinc (Zn) and boron (B) deficient soil was conducted to study the effect of Zn and B on the concentration and total uptake of N, P and K in corn grain at Fars Province of Iran. Treatments included five levels of Zn (0, 8, 16 and 24 kg  ha⁻¹  Zn added to the soil and Zn foliar spray with a 0.5 percent concentration) and four levels of B (0, 3 and 6 kg ha⁻¹ B added to the soil and B foliar spray with a 0.3 percent concentration) in a completely randomized block design. The results of this study showed that the application of B at low Zn levels had no significant effect on the NPK concentrations in the grain, but at high Zn levels, increased NPK concentrations in the grain. Therefore, a high Zn content in the soil helped increasing the N, P and K concentrations and P uptake in the grain by B application; that is, at high Zn levels, there was a synergism between B, N, P and K.
Keywords: Nutrition, Macronutrients, NPK, boron, zinc, corn plant