Improving reproductive efficiency of chickpea by foliar application of zinc

Zinc deficiency is not only the cause of low productivity of crops, but it also results in low zinc content in seeds, which leads to poor dietary zinc intake. To study the effect of zinc foliar application on improving plant yield and seed zinc content for human consumption, chickpea plants were raised in refined sand culture with deficient (0.2 µM) and sufficient (1µM) supply of zinc under glass-house conditions. Prior to initiation of the reproductive phase, zinc was applied as 0.1% ZnSO4 foliar spray to both zinc sufficient and deficient plants. The plants exposed to different zinc treatments were studied for pollen and stigma structure and their involvement in fertilization and seed yield. Zinc deficiency induces flower abortion, pollen, and ovule infertility leading to low seed set and ultimately its yield. Foliar application of ZnSO4 to zinc deficient plants at the time of initiation of flowering partially reverses the adverse effect of zinc deficiency on pollen-stigma morphology, pollen fertility, and greatly enhanced seed yield of plants. Zinc foliar application improved not only the boldness and vigor of seeds in zinc-deficient plants, but also the seed zinc content in zinc-deficient seeds as well as the sufficient ones.