Stimulating maize growth under different water regimes through foliar application of micronutrients
Drought and nutrient stress constrain maize growth, production and productivity. Precision agricultural tools such as foliar fertilisation and irrigation enhance maize growth through mitigation of stresses at different growth stages. The study conducted at Látókép Crop Production Experimental Site, University of Debrecen, Hungary during year 2023, assessed the physiological and growth performance of two maize hybrids exposed to foliar fertilisation under precision drip irrigation and non-irrigated conditions. Foliar fertilizers composed of; nitrogen (10 g/l), zinc (8 g/l), K2O (8.5 g/l), P2O5 (0.83 g/l), and S (8.93 g/l). Data on plant height, leaf area index (LAI), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and relative chlorophyll content (SPAD) were collected at the V12, R1, R4, and R6 analysed using a T-test in Genstat software (12th edition). Results showed significant increases in all parameters at the V12, R1, and R4, but NDVI, LAI, and SPAD declined at R6 under both irrigation and non-irrigated conditions. Foliar fertilisation of the two maize hybrids under precision drip irrigation conditions showed that NDVI and plant height had a significant difference (p < 0.05) while no significance difference was noted for SPAD and leaf area index. The percentage LAI due to foliar fertilisation under irrigated conditions was 16.86% and 18.39% for FAO490 and FAO290 respectively however the effect was slightly higher for FAO290 than FAO490. FAO490 and FAO290 hybrids recorded a 23.45% and 10.05% foliar fertilisation effect respectively over control under non-irrigated conditions. FAO490 hybrid consistently performed better under irrigated conditions compared to FAO290 which performed better under non-irrigated conditions. FAO490 hybrid consistently performed better under irrigated conditions compared to FAO290 which performed better under non-irrigated conditions.