Abstract
Maize (Zea mays L.) is highly susceptible to zinc (Zn) deficiency. Different application strategies (AS) can be utilized to improve grain yield (GY) and quality (Zn biofortification) by combining Zn fertilizer rate, source, timing, and placement techniques. This study aimed to evaluate whether different Zn-AS (soil, seed, and foliar) affect maize GY and grain Zn concentration in Mollisols with contrasting soil Zn availability and pH. Five site-years field experiments were carried out. Treatments (Zn-AS) were compared to a control, and included: seed-Zn, 0.3 kg Zn ha−1; foliar-Zn, 0.7 kg Zn ha−1 at V6 stage; and soil-Zn, 2.1 kg Zn ha−1 surface banded. Zinc fertilization increased GY (response ranged from 892 to 2519 kg ha−1) in four of five sites (p < 0.05). The evidence indicates that in scenarios of very low soil Zn availability (<0.9 mg kg−1 Zn-DTPA) greater Zn rates are required, and therefore soil-Zn and foliar-Zn are the more suitable AS. Grain Zn concentration ranged from 19.5 to 43.1 mg kg−1 and was not affected by Zn-AS. At all sites, even those showing GY response to Zn fertilization, grain Zn concentration in the control treatment was above the sufficiency threshold for maize GY (18 mg kg−1), indicating that this threshold needs to be updated for the current maize hybrids. Grain Zn concentration was predicted by the model: grain Zn concentration = 39.56 − 0.002 × GY + 9.62 × Zn-DTPA (R2 = 0.38).
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Zinc fertilization increased maize grain yield (GY) in four of five sites.
- Treatment
- Zinc fertilizatione1
- Outcome
- GYe1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 892 to 2519 kg ha−1e1
- Qualifier
- in four of five sitese1
- Comparator
- a controle6
- Setting
- field experimentse0
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize grain yield”
e0“Five site-years field experiments were carried out”
e1“Zinc fertilization increased GY (response ranged from 892 to 2519 kg ha−1) in four of five sites (p < 0.05)”
e6“Treatments (Zn-AS) were compared to a control”
Claim · model-written summary
Zn application strategies did not affect maize grain Zn concentration, which ranged from 19.5 to 43.1 mg kg−1.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize grain yield”
e2“Grain Zn concentration ranged from 19.5 to 43.1 mg kg−1 and was not affected by Zn-AS”
Claim · model-written summary
At all sites, grain Zn concentration in the control treatment was above the maize sufficiency threshold of 18 mg kg−1.
- Outcome
- grain Zn concentration in the control treatmente3
- Value
- 18 mg kg−1e3
- Comparator
- sufficiency threshold for maize GYe3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize grain yield”
e3“grain Zn concentration in the control treatment was above the sufficiency threshold for maize GY (18 mg kg−1), indicating that this threshold needs to be updated for the current maize hybrids”
Claim · model-written summary
The maize grain Zn sufficiency threshold needs to be updated for current maize hybrids.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“grain Zn concentration in the control treatment was above the sufficiency threshold for maize GY (18 mg kg−1), indicating that this threshold needs to be updated for the current maize hybrids”
Claim · model-written summary
At very low soil Zn availability, greater Zn rates are required for maize.
- Outcome
- greater Zn rates are requirede4
- Qualifier
- very low soil Zn availability (<0.9 mg kg−1 Zn-DTPA)e4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize grain yield”
e4“The evidence indicates that in scenarios of very low soil Zn availability (<0.9 mg kg−1 Zn-DTPA) greater Zn rates are required, and therefore soil-Zn and foliar-Zn are the more suitable AS”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil-Zn and foliar-Zn are the more suitable application strategies for maize at very low soil Zn availability.
- Outcome
- soil-Zn and foliar-Zn are the more suitable ASe4
- Qualifier
- very low soil Zn availability (<0.9 mg kg−1 Zn-DTPA)e4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize grain yield”
e4“The evidence indicates that in scenarios of very low soil Zn availability (<0.9 mg kg−1 Zn-DTPA) greater Zn rates are required, and therefore soil-Zn and foliar-Zn are the more suitable AS”
Claim · model-written summary
Grain Zn concentration of maize was predicted by a regression model on grain yield and soil Zn-DTPA, with R2 = 0.38.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize grain yield”
e5“Grain Zn concentration was predicted by the model: grain Zn concentration = 39.56 − 0.002 × GY + 9.62 × Zn-DTPA (R2 = 0.38)”
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