effect of nano-micronutrient supplementation and glutathione on some vegetative traits of maize (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

The study was conducted in one of the experimental fields at Field Crops Department, College of Agriculture, University of Kerbala, during the 2024 growing season. The aim was to investigate the effect of applying different concentrations of nano-micronutrient fertilizers and glutathione on vegetative growth yellow corn. A factorial experiment was carried out using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The experiment included two factors: the first factor involved foliar application of nano-micronutrient fertilizers at five concentrations (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 g L^-1), denoted as (N0, N1, N2, N3, and N4) , respectively. The second factor consisted of glutathione foliar application at five concentrations (0, 40, 80, 120, and 180 mg L^-1), designated as (G0, G1, G2, G3, and G4) , respectively. The results revealed a significant superiority of treatment  N4 (2 g L^-1) in most traits, as it achieved the highest mean leaf area (6148.6 cm²)plant and chlorophyll content (48.581 SPAD). Meanwhile, treatment N3 (1.5 g L^-1) showed the highest mean for plant height and stem diameter (203.71 cm and 24.021 mm, respectively), compared to the control treatment. Furthermore, spraying with glutathione had a significant effect on all traits under study, with treatment G4 (180 mg L^-1) achieving the highest mean for plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter, leaf area, and chlorophyll index, with averages of (188.88 cm, 12.584 leaf plant^-1, 23.436 mm, 5980.3 cm², and 48.413 SPAD, respectively). The interaction treatment between adding nano-nutrients (N3) and spraying with glutathione (G4) was significantly superior in most of the vegetative growth traits under study.