دور الكبريت الزراعي وبكتريا Thiobacillus والزنك النانوي في بعض صفات النمو والحاصل والنوعية لنبات الذرة الصفراء (Zea mays L)

Role of agricultural sulfur, Thiobacillus and nano-zinc in some growth, yield and quality traits of maize plant (Zea mays L.)

Abstract
A field experiment was conducted in one of the fields of Ibn Al-Bitar vocational Preparatory school in Al-Husseiniyah district in the Holy governorate of Kerbala for the spring season of 2023 according to a randomized complete block design (RCBD). In the order of factorial experiments with three replications, the experiment included three factors. The first factor included three levels of agricultural sulfur (0, 1500, and 3000 kg ha-1), and the symbol it has (S0, S1 and S2), respectively. The second factor included two levels of thiobacillus bacteria, which are the control treatment (no addition) and the treatment with bacteria, and their symbols are (T0 and T1), respectively. The third factor included three concentrations of nano-zinc (0, 50 and 100 mg L-1), symbolized as 0Zn, Zn1 and Zn2), respectively.
The results showed that the third level of sulfur (S2) was significantly superior in the characteristics of plant height, ear height, leaf area, number of leaves, stem and ear diameter, ear length, total chlorophyll content, number of grains and rows in the ear, biological yield, and grain yield, with averages of 159.92 cm, 106.17 cm, 6766 cm2, 15.36 leaf plant-1, 26.15 mm, 47.19 mm, 26.86 cm, 2.572 mg g-1, 670.0 grain ear-1, 16.14 row ear-1, 13.81 Mg g-1 and 8.06 Mg g-1 respectively. The same level also exceeded some qualitative characteristics, such as the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the vegetative part and grains, and the percentage of protein, carbohydrates, and sulfur in the grains, with averages reaching 1.38%, 0.39%, 1.67%, 1.72%, 0.53%, 0.35%, and 10.79. %, 76.38%, and 0.272%, respectively. It was also observed that the same level was higher in the concentration of iron and zinc in the soil, with averages of 4.32 mg kg-1 and 2.88 mg kg-1, respectively. As for the weight of 500 grains, the highest average reached 154.26 grams in the second level of sulfur (S1).
The results showed that treatment with T. thioparus (T1) bacteria achieved the highest values for the characteristics of plant height, ear height, leaf area, ear diameter, ear length, total chlorophyll content, number of grains and rows in the ear, weight of 500 grain, biological yield trait and grain yield, with averages of 160.48 cm, 96.24 cm, 7260 cm2, 43.79 mm, 23.98 cm, 2.057 mg g-1, 500.8 grain ear-1, 14.37 row ear-1, 154.64 g, 12.69 Mg g-1, and 7.52 Mg g-1, respectively. The results also showed that the bacterial treatment (T1) was superior in some qualitative indicators, such as the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the vegetative part and grains, and the percentage of protein and sulfur in the grains, with averages reaching 1.34%, 0.34%, 1.53%, 1.64%, 0.43%, and 3. 09%, 10.25%, and 0.239%, respectively. It was also noted that the bacterial treatment (T1) was superior in the concentration of zinc in the soil, with an average of 2.55 mg kg-1 soil.
The results showed that the spray treatment with nano-zinc (Zn2) gave the highest values for plant height, ear height, number of leaves, stem and ear diameter, ear length, total chlorophyll content, number of grains and rows in the ear, weight of 500 grain and biological yield, with averages of 167.17 cm, 97.54 cm, and 15.28 leaf plant-1, 24.30 mm, 44.76 mm, 24.11 cm, 2.236 mg g-1, 527.3 grain ear-1, 15.11 row ear-1, 155.53 g,8.01Mg g-1 13.66 Mg g-1 respectively. The same treatment also excelled in the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the vegetative part and grains, and the percentage of protein, carbohydrates, and sulfur in the grains, with averages reaching 1.34%, 0.32%, 1.49%, 1.62%, 0.41%, 3.00%, 10.79%, and 74.00. % and 0.239%, respectively.
The results indicated the presence of a significant bilateral interaction. The interaction between sulfur and bacteria (S2T1) achieved the highest averages in all traits except the weight of 500 grain. The interaction (S0T1) achieved the highest average and the interaction (S2T0) achieved the highest average in biological yield compared to the (S0T0) treatment. Which recorded the lowest averages. The bilateral intervention treatment between sulfur and nano-zinc (S2Zn2) achieved the highest averages, except for leaf area, stem diameter, ear diameter, ear length, number of rows and grains in the ear, and the percentage of sulfur in the grains. The interaction (S2Zn1) achieved the highest averages, and the interaction (S0Zn2) achieved the highest average for the weight of 500 grain compared to treatment (S0Zn0) recorded the lowest averages. The treatment of binary interaction between bacteria and nano-zinc (T1Zn2) achieved the highest averages in all traits compared to the treatment (T0Zn0), which recorded the lowest averages.
The results also indicated that the triple intervention was also significant, as the intervention (S2T1Zn2) gave the highest averages for all traits except leaf area and ear length. The triple intervention (S2T1Zn1) achieved the highest average, and the intervention (S0T1Zn2) achieved the highest average for the weight of 500 grain compared to the (S0T0Zn0) treatment. ) which recorded the lowest averages.