Analysis of micronutrients

Chapter 5: Agronomical and Morphological Analysis in Control and

5.5 Analysis of micronutrients

Trace minerals play a significant role in the human and animal health of crop nutrients. Trace mineral deficiencies, however, are still widespread throughout the globe. To counter micronutrient deficiency, three essential methods have been proposed: food fortification, conventional breeding, and genetic engineering (Lucca et al., 2006). Microelemetental composition (%) in the root, shoot, and head part of wheat grown under irrigated wastewater samples were shown in Tables 5.1 to 5.3. As plants are diverse in the nutritional necessities, there are other eight elements called micronutrients. These nutrients are needed in lower concentrations ranging between 0.001 – 10 ppm, which accounts for 0.02% of cellular dry weight (Barker & Pilbeam 2015). They are required for metabolism. They are boron, chlorine, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, and zinc. Plants also need some trace elements for their growth, such as aluminium, cobalt, selenium, silicon, sodium, and vanadium. In

preparing a hydroponic solution, for any type of crop, it should be kept in mind to consider a balanced mixture of the required essential elements at a level that will allow higher productivity and profitable growth. Various features as are necessary for formulating hydroponics solutions have already been described in works of literature.

Hydroponics crops generally prefer crucial elements such as potassium, phosphorous, and sodium (Lester & Grusak, 2001).

131 Data are expressed as mean ± SD for three independent wheat samples. Values not sharing a common superscript letter in the figures are significantly different at P < 0.05 (DMRT).

Figure 5.4: Chlorophyll and carotene content in a wheat plant grown in irrigated wastewater samples

132 Data are expressed as mean ± SD for three independent wheat samples. Values not sharing a common superscript letter in the figures are significantly different at P < 0.05 (DMRT).

Figure 5.5: Percentage of N, P and K content in the root part of wheat grown with irrigated wastewater samples

133 Data are expressed as mean ± SD for three independent wheat samples. Values not sharing a common superscript letter in the figures are significantly different at P < 0.05 (DMRT).

Figure 5.6: Percentage of N, P and K content in shoot part of wheat grown under irrigated wastewater samples

134 Data are expressed as mean ± SD for three independent wheat samples. Values not sharing a common superscript letter in the figures are significantly different at P < 0.05 (DMRT)

Figure 5.7: Percentage of N, P and K content in the head part of wheat grown under irrigated wastewater samples

135 Table 5.1: Trace elements composition (%) in the root part of wheat grown under irrigated wastewater samples

Parameter HV1 H1V1 H1V2 HV2 H2V1 H2V2

Manganese 172.32±1.13^d 44.89±0.73^b 41.63±0.55^a 119.7±0.76^d 83.08±0.67^c 102.40±1.03^c Iron 105.25±1.23^a 73.70±1.67^a 74.045±11.04^a 124.12±11.35^a 1144.46±1.25^a 124.71±5.86^a

Boron 16.23±0.20^d 10.25±0.45^a 10.38±±0.12^a 14.43±0.14^c 12.33±0.03^b 10.62±0.98^a

Zinc 7.87±0.54^c 4.25±0.15^a 10.23±0.54^d 10.82±0.42^d 5.23±0.73^b 10.62±0.15 ^ad

Sodium 0.40±0.39^a 1.22±0.16^b 1.32±0.13^c 0.42±0.38^d 1.66±0.02^e 1.54±0.12^e

Magnesium 0.10±0.11^a 0.17±0.01^c 0.20±0.03^d 0.11±0.01^b 0.12±0.01^b 0.10±0.02^a

Calcium 0.47±0.02^d 0.25±0.02^a 0.35±0.04^a 0.53±0.02^e 0.41±0.05^c 0.34±0.02^b

Potassium 0.79±0.02^a 0.82±0.03^b 0.99±0.01^d 0.93±0.01^c 1.00±0.02^e 1.03±0.01^e

Data are expressed as mean ± SD for three independent wheat samples. Values not sharing a common superscript letter in the figures are significantly different at P < 0.05 (DMRT).

136 Table 5.2 : Trace elements composition (%) in shoot part of wheat grown under irrigated wastewater samples

Parameter HV1 H1V1 H1V2 HV2 H2V1 H2V2

Manganese 12.7±0.72^c 9.21±1.10^a 9.51±0.15^a 12.4±1.52^c 13.46±0.93^d 10.27±0.97^b

Iron 122.00±7.98^a 146±11.78^d 139±0.18^b 120.85±5.91^a 139.57±0.87^b 141.34±1.87^c

Boron 19.7±1.67^c 13.25±2.01^c 9.85±0.23^a 21.23±1.93^d 11.72±0.96^b 10.9±1.65^a

Zinc 30.98±0.51^c 16.85±1.03^b 13.2±0.11^a 13.24±0.89^a 39.54±3.11^e 36.34±2.78^d

Sodium 0.11±0.02^b 0.59±0.16^c 0.63±0.26^d 0.08±0.01^a 0.10±0.19^b 0.11±0.02^b

Magnesium 0.17±0.06^a 0.22±0.08^c 0.23±0.02^c 0.17±0.04^a 0.19±0.23^b 0.20±0.02^b

Calcium 0.32±0.01^c 0.28±0.02^b 0.25±0.03^a 0.29±0.02^b 0.27±0.04^b 0.28±0.03^b

Potassium 1.54±0.04^b 1.55±0.78^b 1.47±0.09^a 1.55±0.05^b 1.57±0.06^c 1.60±0.01^d

Data are expressed as mean ± SD for three independent wheat samples. Values not sharing a common superscript letter in the figures are significantly different P < 0.05 (DMRT).

137 Table 5.3: Trace elements composition (%) in the head part of wheat grown under irrigated wastewater samples

Parameter HV1 H1V1 H1V2 HV2 H2V1 H2V2

Manganese 16.57±0.15^c 12.15±0.09^b 12.29±0.19^b 16.17±0.14^c 11.07±0.21^a 12.74±0.98^b

Iron 106.46±6.23^a 147.15±0.87^b 156.70±5.21^c 109.54±5.68^a 179.56±2.04^e 166.41±1.29^d

Boron 32.39±0.96^e 24.75±1.98^c 19.46±0.04^a 30.14±1.03^d 22.23±0.02^b 21.86±2.01^b

Zinc 49.96±2.83^d 25.28±0.54^a 33.62±1.36^b 52.74±1.99^e 45.3±1.18^c 43.61±1.18^c

Sodium 0.06±0.01^a 0.07±0.02^b 0.09±0.03^c 0.05±0.02^a 0.07±0.01^a 0.06±0.01^a

Magnesium 0.26±0.02^b 0.24±0.01^a 0.25±0.02^a 0.26±0.04^b 0.28±0.01^b 0.27±0.02^b

Calcium 0.33±0.03^d 0.26±0.01^b 0.24±0.01^a 0.33±0.04^d 0.28±0.02^b 0.30±0.02^c

Potassium 0.72±0.02^a 0.76±0.07^c 0.73±0.05^b 0.76±0.01^c 0.82±0.03^d 0.87±0.03^e

Data are expressed as mean ± SD for three independent wheat samples. Values not sharing a common superscript letter in the figures are significantly different P < 0.05 (DMRT).

Crops do not yield better results due to drying of the hydroponic solution, non- inclusion of one or many of such microelements. Therefore, it is necessary to supply the vital elements in hydroponic solution to eliminate nutritional deficiency diseases and stunted growth.

The yellowing in the leaves is attributed to iron or nitrogen deficiencies. This discolouration was not noticed in the current study. A high amount of nitrogen is generally essential for maximum yield. In all crops grown in the hydroponics system, nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium contents were within acceptable limits. The reduction in expansion of leaf, stunted growth, and deficient photosynthesis should have noticed during the growth of crops if phosphorous was deficient in the hydroponics system. The % of nitrogen levels were higher in shoot and head regions of H2V1 variety with the values of 1.04±0.03 and 1.59±0.12, respectively. The percentages of potassium levels are higher in the shoot system of H2V2 with the value of 1.60±1.14. The highest % of phosphorous and potassium were recorded in spike heads of H2V2 variety with the values of 0.55±0.06 and 0.87±0.03. Because phosphorous is responsible for forming early root growth, hastening plants' maturity, promoting cell division, and hastening fruiting and grain formation and reproduction.

Based on the results obtained, it was presumed that the hydroponics wheat crops obtained their significant levels of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium from control (well water) and treated wastewater (H1 and H2 effluents). The composition of these hydroponics solutions has also been found in the plant parts viz., head parts, shoot, and roots. The H2 effluent consists of the lower content of trace elements. Some plants are accumulated with trace elements. They are called hyperaccumulators (Verbruggen et al., 2009). They resist trace element toxicity. These plants are helpful to maximize the

dietary levels of trace elements in humans. Some of the hyperaccumulators are sunflowers, Indian mustard, and broccoli with copper, zinc, and selenium.

The use of H1 effluents for hydroponics wheat productivity has some disadvantages. The crops grown in such a solution can be characterized by observing the poor nutrient uptake due to an increase in osmotic pressure, high EC, and low growth. Previous research with the hydroponic solution has also documented the optimum range of elements in the current medium (Landis & Nisley, 1990). According to Goddek and Korner (2019), many plant roots can increase nitrate, sulfate, and phosphorus absorption while increasing the medium's alkalinity. Based in comparison to well water, previous researchers have demonstrated a higher level of NPK in the treated wastewater. The investigation has shown that the treated effluent water had increased productivity. According to Bedbabis et al. (2015), this may be due to the presence of high EC, OM, significant elements, pH, salts, and heavy metals such as manganese, iron, and zinc. The presence of zinc in the present study did not cause any problem though zinc's value increased higher in shoot and head of wheat crop than sodium, magnesium, and calcium.