Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper


Vol.30,Issue 2, 2024

Page Number: 565-575

EXOGENOUS APPLICATION OF MACRONUTRIENT POTASSIUM BOOSTING MORPH-PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETER AND YIELD ATTRIBUTES IN WHEAT

Neha Yadav, Heena Gulia, Ajay Kumar, Mamta Sawariya, Naveen Kumar and Sunder Singh Arya

Abstract

The research was carried out using a wheat genotype to assess the foliar impact of applying potassium during a specific growth stage. Various physiological parameters and changes in photosynthetic pigments were analyzed in response to potassium application. The data obtained for different growth parameters over the study period were subjected to statistical analysis to facilitate comparisons. Exposing wheat genotypes to a 0.5% foliar application of potassium resulted in significant enhancements in morphological, biological, photosynthetic pigment and yield attributes parameters when compared to plants grown in a potassium-free environment (Control). This improvement was particularly recorded in terms of the fresh and dry weights of the stem and plant, as well as the levels of chlorophyll ‘a,’ ‘b,’ total chlorophyll and yield attributing parameters. The most substantial enhancements in the tested parameters were observed at a potassium concentration of 0.5%. This study establishes that foliar application of potassium at an optimal 0.5% concentration acts as a growth promoter, leading to increased chlorophyll content, yield and ion uptake in wheat. Furthermore, it is advisable to prioritize the use of 0.5% potassium foliar application in the mentioned locations.