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Biofortification of wheat with Mn through tank mixed formulations of MnSO4 7H2O and CO(NH2)2—a fast mode of Mn accumulation on light textured soils of Punjab, India

Abstract In the Indo-gangetic plains, the continuous cultivation of rice-wheat cropping system in light-textured soils has aggravated a manganese (Mn) deficiency. Wheat is sensitive to Mn availability in soil and its deficiency has become one of the major constraints in sustaining its productivity on soils cropped with rice. Thus, field experiments were conducted to evaluate the response of tank-mixed formulations of manganese sulfate (MnSO4·7H2O) and urea (CO(NH2)2) at critical growth stages. The experiment comprised of six different treatments of MnSO4·7H2O (0.5%) and tank-mixed formulation of MnSO4·7H2O (0.5%) and CO(NH2)2 (1%) sprayed 35, 50 and 70 days after sowing (DAS). The results revealed that for biofortification, tank mixed formulation of MnSO4·7H2O (0.5%) with and without CO (NH2)2 (1.0%) at different growth stages resulted in significantly higher yield and Mn accumulation over control. The protein content, micronutrient concentrations (Zn, Fe and Mn) and accumulation in wheat were highest in the treatment having tank-mixed formulation of MnSO4·7H2O and CO(NH2)2 at 35, 50 and 75 DAS stages. However, it was statistically at par with tank-mixed formulation of MnSO4·7H2O (0.5%) and CO(NH2)2 (1.0%) sprayed at 35 and 50 DAS. The net return and B:C ratio were maximum (Rs 75,671 ha−1 and 2.97) in the treatment having tank-mixed formulation of MnSO4·7H2O plus CO(NH2)2 applied at 35 and 50 DAS. The results of the study concluded that the tank-mixed formulation is the appropriate combination for higher accumulation of Mn in wheat grains through biofortification.