Zinc Nutrition Responses to Agronomic and Yield Traits, Kernel Quality, and Pollen Viability in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Essam E Kandil; Aly A A El-Banna; Dalia M M Tabl; Marwa I Mackled; Rehab Y Ghareeb; Asma A Al-Huqail; Hayssam M Ali; Jebril Jebril; Nader R Abdelsalam

doi:10.3389/fpls.2022.791066

Zinc Nutrition Responses to Agronomic and Yield Traits, Kernel Quality, and Pollen Viability in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Front Plant Sci. 2022 May 9:13:791066. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.791066. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Essam E Kandil¹, Aly A A El-Banna¹, Dalia M M Tabl², Marwa I Mackled³, Rehab Y Ghareeb⁴, Asma A Al-Huqail⁵, Hayssam M Ali⁵, Jebril Jebril⁶, Nader R Abdelsalam⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture (Saba Basha), Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
² Rice Research Technology Center (RTTC), Field Crops Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Alexandria, Egypt.
³ Department of Stored Product Pests, Plant Protection Institute, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Alexandria, Egypt.
⁴ Plant Protection and Biomolecular Diagnosis Department, Arid Lands Cultivation Research Institute, The City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications, New Borg El Arab, Egypt.
⁵ Chair of Climate Change, Environmental Development and Vegetation Cover, Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States.
⁷ Agricultural Botany Department, Faculty of Agriculture (Saba Basha), Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.

Abstract

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the major cereal crops worldwide with wheat and maize. A total of two field experiments were performed to evaluate the response of some rice cultivars to various foliar zinc (Zn) concentrations based on different measurements, such as agronomic, yield, yield compounds, and grain technological parameters. The experimental layout was a split plot in three replicates; the five rice cultivars (Skaha 101, Giza178, Yasmeen, Fourate, and Amber 33) were distributed in the main plots while the four foliar applications of Zn (1,500, 2,000, 2,500 mg/L besides spray water) were occupied the sub-plots. The findings showed significant differences among the five rice cultivars regarding plant height, grain yield, straw yield, biological yield, harvest index, 1,000-grain weight, panicle length, protein percentage, and grain Zn content. There is a significant effect of Zn on all plant attributes. A significant interaction between rice cultivars and foliar application of Zn was observed, whereas fertilizing Giza 178 with foliar application of Zn at the rate of 2,500 mg/L achieved the highest mean values of grain yield and straw yield, biological yield, harvest index, 1,000-grain weight, panicle length, protein %, and Zn content followed by Sakha 101 with Zn application at the rate of 2,000 mg/L, respectively, in both seasons. The rice cultivars significantly differed in hulling (%), broken (%), hardness, grain length, shape, amylose (%), gel consistency, and gelatinization temperature. Unfortunately, the commercial Zn product used was genotoxic to pollen grains with a higher rate of Zn. Aberrations were observed such as stickiness, ultrastructural changes in the exterior and interior walls, partially or fully degenerated grains, and shrunken and unfilled grains. This study concluded that using Zn application at the rate of 2,000 mg/L to protect human and environmental health, the side effects and toxicity of the local commercial Zn product market should be investigated before making recommendations to farmers.

Keywords: cultivars; fertilization; pollen; rice; toxicity; yield.