The Integrated Application of Phosphorous and Zinc Affects the Physiological Status, Yield and Quality of Canola Grown in Phosphorus-suffered Deficiency Saline Soil

Abstract

AbstractDespite the soil could contain high amount of phosphorus (P), salinity reduce its availability for crop plants. Hence, farmers should practice several tactics to ameliorate P deficiency in soils. The current study aimed to assess the importance of zinc (Zn) supply for mitigating the deficiency of P for canola grown in saline soil. The effects of three Zn rates (0, 150 and 300 mg L−1, Zn0, Zn150 and Zn300, respectively) under three P rates (0, 36 and 72 kg P2O5 ha−1, P0, P36, and P72, respectively) on physiological status, yield and quality of canola were measured. Treatments were arranged in the strip plot design based on completely randomized blocks with three replicates. Findings exhibited that P36 recorded the highest values of membrane stability index in the 2nd season, while statistically leveled P72 for relative water content and chlorophyll fluorescence in both seasons. Zn300 exhibited potent effect on all canola physiological traits in both seasons. In both seasons, P36 × Zn300, P72 × Zn150 and P72 × Zn300 showed the maximum chlorophyll fluorescence and performance index values. Plots treated with P72 achieved 70.0% increase in canola seed yield, greater than the untreated ones. Seed yield obtained with Zn300 were higher than Zn0 and Zn150 by1.30 and 1.10 times in 2019/20 season and 1.23 and 1.05 times in 2020/21 season. The highest oil % was recorded with P0 × Zn150 and P72 × Zn0 in the 1st season and with P72 × Zn150 in the 2nd season.