Physiological studies on the effect of citrine on growth, yield and some chemical constituents of maize (zea mays l.)‎ Plants

الملخص EN

Two field experiments were carried out during the two successive seasons of 2005 and 2006 to investigate the effect of foliar application of citrine (a compound fertilizer containing citric acid with some micronutrients) on growth, yield and some chemical constituents of maize (Zea mays L.) plants.

The plants were grown in clay soil, and foliar sprayed with eleven treatments (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.35, 0.4, 0.45 and 0.5%) of combined fertilizer (citrine) which contains (15% citric acid, 2% Fe, 2% Mn and 2% Zn).

Generally, it was found that all studied vegetative growth parameters (i.e.

plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves /plant, dry weight of leaves) as well as grain yield /fed.

and some of their components (i.e.

ear length, ear diameter, number of rows/ear, number of grains/row, grain weight/ear, weight of 100 grain and ear weight/plant) and some chemical constituents of leaves (chlorophyll a, b, total caroteniods, anthocyanin, total carbohydrates, total and reducing sugars, total free amino acids, total indoles, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium) and grain protein %, were increased with application of the different treatments.

The maximum values were obtained from the treatment of 0.3%.

On the contrary citrine treatments decreased reducing sugars and free phenol in leaves as compared to the control.

The best results were obtained by the application of citrine treatment at 0.3%.

Hence, it can recommend to use citrine fertilizers as foliar application at the rate of 0.3% for improving growth, yield and chemical constituents of maize plants.