Effect of Magnesium Sulphate and Copper Sulphate Foliar Application on Wheat under Sandy Soil Conditions

TWO FIELD experiments were conducted at Ismailia Exp. Sta., Agric. Res. Centre, Egypt, in 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 seasons to study the effect of foliar application of copper sulphate (CuSO4) and magnesium sulphate (Mg) on growth, yield and grain quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Sakha 94) under sandy soil conditions. The results indicated that foliar application of 6.72 kg MgSO4 + 1.68 kg CuSO4/fed produced the highest values of growth attributes such as plant height, tillers/m2, flag leaf area, chlorophyll contents and dry matter/m2. The highest positive significant effects on spike/m2, spike length, no. of grains/spike, grains weight/spike, 1000-grains weight, grain yield/fed and straw yield/fed were achieved by spraying copper sulphate and magnesium sulphate treatments. The highest increment in grain yield was obtained by spraying wheat plants by 1.68 kg CuSO4/fed. Results also showed that the most of both macro and micronutrients content in wheat shoot increased markedly due to spraying wheat plants with 6.72 kg MgSO4 + 1.68 kg CuSO4/fed. On the other hand, the highest wheat grains content of protein, N, Mg, Cu and Zn contents (15.45 %, 2.65 %, 0.35 %, 7.90 ppm and 54.40 ppm, respectively) were achieved with spraying wheat plants by 6.72 kg MgSO4 + 1.68 kg CuSO4/fed. However, spraying wheat plants with 0.84 kg CuSO4/fed gave the highest grain carbohydrate percentage (69.33 %). Spraying wheat plants with 6.72 kg MgSO4 + 1.68 kg CuSO4/fed gave the highest magnesium, copper and Zn content (0.28 %, 3.80 ppm and 46.20 ppm, respectively) in wheat straw as compared with unsprayed plants. The correlation coefficient between wheat yield and number of spike/m^2, 1000-grains weight and harvest index was highly positive significant (0.953**, 0.895** and 0.826**, respectively) under this conditions.