Abstract
Timing of micronutrient demand and acquisition by maize (Zea mays L.) is nutrient specific and associated with key vegetative and reproductive growth stages. The objective of this study was to determine the fate of foliar-applied B, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Fe/Zn together, evaluate the effect of foliar micronutrients applied at multiple rates and growth stages on maize grain yield, and determine their apparent nutrient recovery efficiency (ANR). Five Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) experiments were conducted in 2014 and 2015 at five locations across Nebraska. Total dry matter was collected at 5–6 stages, and separated into leaves, stalk, and reproductive tissue as appropriate to determine micronutrient uptake, partitioning, and translocation. Foliar B, Mn, Zn, and Fe/Zn had no effect on grain yield for most application time by rate levels, though, at the foliar Mn site, there was a 19% yield increase due to a V18 application of 0.73 kg Mn ha−1 which corresponded with reduced Mn uptake in maize grown in control plots. At the foliar Zn site, there was 4.5% decrease in yield due to a split foliar application of 0.84 kg Zn ha−1 total, applied at V11 and V15 stage, which increased leaf Zn concentrations greater than the established toxic level. Only the Fe site had consistent grain yield response and was the only experiment that had visual signs of micronutrient deficiency. Regardless of application time from V6 to R2, there was a 13.5–14.6% increase in grain yield due to 0.22 kg Fe ha−1 foliar application. Most micronutrients had limited or no translocation, however, early season applications of B, prior to V10, had significant mobilization to reproductive tissues at or after VT. Foliar Mn, Zn, and B application had ANR LSmeans of 9.5, 16.9, and 2.5%, respectively, whereas the Fe/Zn mix had negative ANR LSmeans of −9.1% Fe and −1.3% Zn which indicate suppression. These data highlight the importance of confirming a micronutrient deficiency prior to foliar application, guide specific growth stages to target with specific micronutrients, track the fate of foliar-applied micronutrients, and describe the variable effect of foliar-applied micronutrients on grain yield.
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Claims 18
Claim · model-written summary
Most foliar B applications had no grain-yield effect.
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Foliar B, Mn, Zn, and Fe/Zn had no effect on grain yield for most application time by rate levels”
t0“Maize Grain Yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Most foliar Mn applications had no grain-yield effect.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Foliar B, Mn, Zn, and Fe/Zn had no effect on grain yield for most application time by rate levels”
t0“Maize Grain Yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Most foliar Zn applications had no grain-yield effect.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Foliar B, Mn, Zn, and Fe/Zn had no effect on grain yield for most application time by rate levels”
t0“Maize Grain Yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Most foliar Fe/Zn applications had no grain-yield effect.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Foliar B, Mn, Zn, and Fe/Zn had no effect on grain yield for most application time by rate levels”
t0“Maize Grain Yield”
Claim · model-written summary
V18 foliar Mn increased maize grain yield by 19%.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“there was a 19% yield increase due to a V18 application of 0.73 kg Mn ha−1”
t0“Maize Grain Yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Split foliar Zn decreased maize grain yield by 4.5%.
- Treatment
- split foliar application of 0.84 kg Zn ha−1 totale0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- decreasee0
- Value
- 4.5%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“there was 4.5% decrease in yield due to a split foliar application of 0.84 kg Zn ha−1 total, applied at V11 and V15 stage”
t0“Maize Grain Yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Split foliar Zn raised leaf Zn concentrations above the established toxic level.
Not reportedTreatment
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“which increased leaf Zn concentrations greater than the established toxic level”
t0“Maize Grain Yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Only the Fe site had a consistent grain-yield response.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Only the Fe site had consistent grain yield response”
t0“Maize Grain Yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Only the Fe experiment had visible micronutrient deficiency.
- Outcome
- visual signs of micronutrient deficiencye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“was the only experiment that had visual signs of micronutrient deficiency”
t0“Maize Grain Yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Foliar Fe raised grain yield by 13.5–14.6% regardless of application timing from V6 to R2.
- Treatment
- 0.22 kg Fe ha−1 foliar applicatione0
- Outcome
- grain yielde0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 13.5–14.6%e0
- Qualifier
- application time from V6 to R2e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Regardless of application time from V6 to R2, there was a 13.5–14.6% increase in grain yield due to 0.22 kg Fe ha−1 foliar application”
t0“Maize Grain Yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Most micronutrients showed limited or no translocation.
- Outcome
- limited or no translocatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Most micronutrients had limited or no translocation”
t0“Maize Grain Yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Early B application significantly mobilized B to reproductive tissues at or after VT.
- Treatment
- early season applications of B, prior to V10e0
- Outcome
- mobilization to reproductive tissuese0
- Qualifier
- at or after VTe0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“early season applications of B, prior to V10, had significant mobilization to reproductive tissues at or after VT”
t0“Maize Grain Yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Foliar Mn had an ANR LSmean of 9.5%.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Foliar Mn, Zn, and B application had ANR LSmeans of 9.5, 16.9, and 2.5%, respectively”
t0“Maize Grain Yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Foliar Zn had an ANR LSmean of 16.9%.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Foliar Mn, Zn, and B application had ANR LSmeans of 9.5, 16.9, and 2.5%, respectively”
t0“Maize Grain Yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Foliar B had an ANR LSmean of 2.5%.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Foliar Mn, Zn, and B application had ANR LSmeans of 9.5, 16.9, and 2.5%, respectively”
t0“Maize Grain Yield”
Claim · model-written summary
The Fe/Zn mixture had an Fe ANR LSmean of −9.1%.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Fe/Zn mix had negative ANR LSmeans of −9.1% Fe and −1.3% Zn”
t0“Maize Grain Yield”
Claim · model-written summary
The Fe/Zn mixture had a Zn ANR LSmean of −1.3%.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Fe/Zn mix had negative ANR LSmeans of −9.1% Fe and −1.3% Zn”
t0“Maize Grain Yield”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend confirming deficiency before foliar micronutrient application.
- Outcome
- confirming a micronutrient deficiency prior to foliar applicatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“importance of confirming a micronutrient deficiency prior to foliar application”
t0“Maize Grain Yield”
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