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/m2, 1000-grains weight and harvest index was highly positive significant (0.953**, 0.895** and 0.826**, respectively) under this conditions.