BIONATURE

A field experiment was conducted during the rabi season of 2022-23 to evaluate the effects of foliar applications of various nutrient salts on the growth, development, and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) variety -UP-262 under the lower Gangetic alluvial soils of West Bengal. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with 3 replications and 10 foliar treatments. The foliar treatments were water spray, NaCl @0.5%, K₂SO₄ @0.5%, KCl @0.5%, CaCl₂ @0.5%, Boron @0.2% and 0.1%, Zinc @0.1%, a combined spray of zinc and boron, and a mixture of NaCl and KCl each at 0.25%. These nutrients were sprayed at 50% flowering of the crop. The results showed that all the foliar applications had significant positive effects on yield and yield contributing characters of wheat compared to the control. Foliar application of NaCl@ 0.5% significantly increased filled grains spike^-1, ear length, and 1000-grain weight, thus the highest grain yield(2810.53kg/ha) was obtained with this treatment followed closely by K₂SO₄ @0.5%. However, the combined spray of zinc and boron increased grain yield and therefore improves micronutrient supplementation. This finding implies that foliar application of targeted nutrients at key development stages might improve wheat productivity through the remedying of nutrient deficiencies.