Effect of Potassium Silicate and Irrigation on Grain Nutrient Uptake and Water Use Efficiency of Wheat Under Calcareous Soils

Abstract

Abstract In calcareous soil, two field experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of two potassium silicate treatments (with and without) and three irrigation levels (100, 80 and 60%, of crop evapotranspiration, abbreviated as IW100, IW80 and IW60, respectively) on wheat yield and nutrient uptake and water use efficiency (WUE). The experimental design was a strip plots design in randomized complete block arrangement with three replicates. Findings reveal that potassium silicate improved grain weight spike −1 by about 1.06 times whether with IW80 or IW60. Also, seed index increased by 1.03, 1.06 and 1.04 times owing to potassium silicate in the 1st season under IW100, IW80 and IW60 treatments, respectively. Application of potassium silicate surpassed the control treatment by about 1.05, 1.4 and 1.07 times for biological straw and grain yields under IW80. The interaction of IW80 × potassium silicate significantly equaled IW100 × potassium silicate for P, S Mg and Mn uptake in both seasons as well as N, K and Zn uptake in the 1st season and Fe uptake in the 2nd season. IW80 or IW60 with potassium silicate application were the efficient combinations for improving WUE in both growing seasons.