Short-Term Impact of Plant and Liquid derived Fulvic Acids on the Physiological Characteristics, Plant Growth and Nutrient Uptake of Maize-Wheat Production | Proceedings of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences: B. Life and Environmental Sciences 2022

Mahendar Kumar Sootahar Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China; Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Crop Production, Sindh Agriculture University, Tando Jam 70060, Pakistan

Mukesh Kumar Soothar Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Crop Production, Sindh Agriculture University, Tando Jam 70060, Pakistan; Key Laboratory of Crop Water Use and Regulation, Ministry of Agriculture, Farmland Irrigation Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Xinxiang 453003, PR China

Xibai Zeng Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences,Beijing, 100081,China

Ning Ye Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences,Beijing, 100081,China

Punam Sootahar Department of Statistics, Faculty of Social Science, Sindh Agriculture University,Tando Jam 70060,Pakistan

Rakesh Kumar School of Life Sciences and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology,Mianyang, 621010,China

Abdul Khalique Zanour Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Crop Production, Sindh Agriculture University,Tando Jam 70060,Pakistan

Permanand Soothar Department of Electronic Engineering, Mehran University of Engineering & Technology,Jamshoro 76062, Sindh.,Pakistan

Ehsan Elahi Bhangar Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Crop Production, Sindh Agriculture University,Tando Jam 70060,Pakistan

Siraj Ahmed Baloch Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Crop Production, Sindh Agriculture University,Tando Jam 70060,Pakistan

Suneel Kumar School of Life Sciences and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology,Mianyang, 621010,China

Fulvic acids (FAs) are the major component of soil organic matter, which improves soil structure and fertility. FA has been observed positively on plant growth and ultimately enhances crop production. The pot experiment was conducted on wheat and maize grown in silty clay, sandy loam, and clay loam textural soils, respectively. Three diferent parent materials; FA Solid (S=Powder Form), Natural Liquid (NL) and Plant-derived Liquid (P) were applied at 0% (Control), 0.25 % (S), 0.50 % (NL) and 0.50 % (P) FA, respectively. The results showed that the stem diameter of maize was 15.68, 26.90, and 26.35 mm under S, P, and NL respectively, however, the spike weight of wheat was 123.24, 98.5, and 132.4 g pot-1 for S, P, and NL in Albic (AL), Irrigated Desert (IR) and Shahjiang (SH) soils. Similarly, maize height increased by 8 % and 9 % significantly as compared to control and the height of wheat increased by 4 % and 1 % in AL and 5 % in IR soil compared to control. Maize grain weight increased over control; however, wheat grain weight significantly decreased. The N and P significantly enhanced in maize and wheat in AL, IR, and SH soils. Our study proved that the application of Solid FA did not improve maize growth characteristics, however, it improved the characteristics of wheat crops except under IR soils. In contrast, liquid FA improved the chemical and physical properties of soils including nutrient uptake of maize and wheat under AL and SH soils.