Effects of zinc sulfate on yield, yield components, zinc and protein content of three winter wheat cultivars in the Eghlid of Fars province

Zinc deficiency through the reduction in auxin production and photosynthesis, reduces growth, yield components and grain yield of wheat. An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of zinc sulfate on yield, yield components, zinc and protein content of three winter wheat cultivars in Eghlid Agriculture Research during 2007– 2008. The experiment was in a splitplot layout within a randomized complete block design. The main plot consisted of three levels (0,30 and 60 kgha-1) of zinc sulfate (36% Zn) and the sub-plots were Zarin, Alvand and Shahriar wheat cultivars. The result showed that increasing the Zinc sulfate levels caused meaningful increaseg in the number of fertile heads m-2 (FH), kernel per fertile head (KH), 1000-kernel weight (KW), grain yield (GY), total plant dry weight (TPDW) and harvest index (HI) and zinc and protein, but number of infertile tillers (IT) and infertile heads (IH) reduced. Zarin and Alvand cultivars produced significantly higher FH, KW, GY, HI, ZnC and PP and lower IT, and KH than Shahriar. Cultivars showed no differences in other properties based on the results In this study the highest growth, yield components and grain yield were 10040 and 10030 kg ha-1 by using the 60 kg ha-1 of zinc sulfate in alvand and zarin cultivars respectively. This rate of zinc sulfate application and Alvand and Zarin cultivars might be suitable for wheat production under conditions similar to this study.