The Effect of Zinc and Phosphorus Foliar Application on Morphological Characters, Grain Yield and Yield Components of Two Rice Varieties (Hashemi (Local) and Shiroodi (Improved))

Phosphorus (P) as the second most important macronutrients and zinc (Zn) as the most important micronutrient that the effects due their deficiency causes the most widespread nutrienal disorders in the world paddy fields. The current study conducted to invetstigate the effect of Zn and P foliar application on the morphological characters, yield and yield component of two rice varieties (Hashemi and Shiroudi). The three factors factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized blocks design with three replications at rice research institute of Iran (Deputy of Amol) in 2017-2018. The reults indicated that the highest rate and the percentage increase through the applied treatments (Zn and P foliar application at the start of the booting and (or) the ripening stages increasd the traits of Hashemi and Shirioodi cultivars as follows: grain yield, 4020 (17.5%) and 6571 (9%) kg ha-1; biological yield, 9884 (16%) and 12640 (20%); harvest index, 45 (8%) and 54 20) present; filled grain number, and 114 (10) and 156 (6%). Also the maximum number of filled grain was recorded for Hashemi and Shirioodiat by about 114 (10% increase) and 156 (6% increase), respectively, and the highest number of unfilled grain was observed around 5 (10% reduce) and 14 (40% reduce) in the Hashemi and Shiroudi varieties, respectively due to foliar application of Zn at the grain filling stages. It can be concluded that the foliar application of Zn and P at the start of the booting and the grain filling stages might be the proper treatment to enhance the studied rice cultivars yield and yield component.