The Effect of CCC, Zinc Sulfate and Nitoxin on Root Growth and Grain Yield of Wheat under Dry Land Farming and Greenhouse Conditions

Two experiments were conducted under field and greenhouse conditions, to investigate the effect of herbal spraying chlormequat chloride (CCC) (0 and 2.5 g. L-1), soil incorporation of Zinc sulfate (Zn) at the three rates of 0, 25 and 50 kg ha-1, and pre-treatment of seeds with bio-fertilizer Nitroxin (Nit) in a randomized complete block design with a factorial arrangement and three replications. Field experiments during 2013-14 growing season were conducted under two locations, at Experimental Farm of the College of Agriculture, Ilam University at Ilam, West of Iran and Agricultural Research Station of  Bushehr, South of Iran. Root properties were studied in response to above mentioned treatments at two growth stages, anthesis and seed maturity under greenhouse condition. Results showed that spraying CCC increased spike number plant-1, grain number spike-1, grain yield and seed protein content by about 14.1%, 13.6% and 28.5%, respectively. Spraying CCC at 2.5 g L-1, application of 50 kg of Zn and inoculating seeds with Nit treatment had the greatest grain yield (1710 kg per hectare) and protein content (12.8%). Spraying 2.5 g.L-1 solution of CCC, Soil incorporation with 50 kg Zn and seeds pre-treatment with Nit at anthesis stage increased root length, root fresh weight, and root dry weight as well as ratio of root to shoot dry weight by 17.7%, 21.9%, 30.3% and 32.8% in comparison to control treatment. Overall, the greatest grain yield of wheat cultivar Kohdasht was obtained from spraying 2.5 g.L-1 of CCC, applying 50 kg of Zn as soil incorporation and pre-treatment of seeds with bio-fertilizer Nit.