Evaluation Morphological Characteristics and Mineral Nutrients Content of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Affected Soil Application of Nitrogen and Iron Fertilizers

Abstract

This research was conducted to evaluate the effect of soil application of nitrogen (N) and iron (Fe) fertilizers on morphological traits and shoot mineral contents of bread wheat via factorial arrangement based on randomized complete block design with four replications. The factors included three level of nitrogen (100, 200 and 400 mg N kg^-1 dry soil applied) as Ca(NO₃)₂ and three rate of Iron (No iron, Fe EDTA and FeSO₄, ap-plied at the rate of 10 mg Fe kg^-1 soil). The results of the present study show that shoot fresh matter production and plant height was significantly enhanced by increasing N supply at each Fe treatment. So that, application of 400 mg N kg^-1 soil has the greatest effect on shoot fresh matter production and plant height. Compared with the control treatment, which did not receive extra N fertilizer, N fertilization at 200 and 400 mg kg^-1 were decreased shoot Fe, copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn) concentration as well as shoot zinc (Zn) and Cu content in wheat. The mean shoot Fe concentrations were 246.9, 247.3 and 314.9 mg kg^-1 in control, Fe EDTA and FeSO₄ treatments, respectively. Also, the effect of FeSO₄ on shoot zinc (Zn), Fe and Mn concentrations and also shoot Zn and Cu contents were higher than that of Fe EDTA. In generally, the higher shoot concentration and content of mineral nutrients were observed on the FeSO₄ treatment in 100 mg N kg^-1 soil and the lower these traits were observed on the treatment of no Fe at all of soil N supply. Application of Fe fertilizer, in combination with optimum N fertilization or other agronomic practices that can increase mineral nutrients in shoot and seed of wheat (especially Zn and Fe), is required to produce improved seed quality for human health.