Effect of humic acid on grain and forage yield and quality of rainfed barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 M.Sc. Graduate, Department of Plant Production and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Plant Production and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

Abstract

Introduction
Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is recognized for its potential in producing healthy food and being an excellent source of dietary fiber. Humic acid, an organic compound derived from decomposed organic materials, plays a significant role in plant nutrition due to its high hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen content. Foliar application of humic acid enhances leaf and root growth, nutrient uptake, photosynthesis and enzymatic activities, while increasing the plant’s resistance to environmental stresses. Although the effects of humic acid on roots are well-documented, its impact on leaves requires further investigations. Previous studies have shown that foliar applications can enhance chlorophyll levels and influence photosynthesis, transpiration, and gas exchange. Despite numerous studies on the effects of humic acid on various crops, its influence on the yield and quality of rainfed barley cultivars has not yet been assessed. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of foliar application of humic acid on grain and forage yield and quality characteristics of five rainfed barley cultivars.
Materials and methods
The field experiment was conducted at the Sararood Dryland Agricultural Research Institute, located 17 km from Kermanshah, Iran, with a Mediterranean semi-arid climate. The experiment was carried out in a split plot experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replications. The main factor was the application of humic acid at three levels including 0, 400, and 800 mg.lit-1, and the sub-factor was five barley cultivars including Artan, Qaflan, Arda, Abidar, and Sararood-1. The seeds of the studied cultivars were sown on October 22 using an experimental planter machine. Foliar application of humic acid was done at the flag leaf emergence stage. The measured traits in this experiment included grain and forage (biological) yield, grain nutritional elements, and the traits related to forage quality. Analysis of variance and comparison of means based on LSD test were performed using SAS 9.1 software and relevant graphs were drawn using Excel software.
Research findings
Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between cultivars, humic acid levels, and the interaction of cultivar × humic acid for all grain traits, including grain yield and grain nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content. Also, the effect of humic acid on forage yield and all quality traits, and the effect of cultivar on all forage traits except yield and ash percentage were significant, while the interaction of cultivar × humic acid was only significant on forage crude protein and crude fiber percentage. The results indicated that with increasing humic acid levels, grain nitrogen content improved, so that the highest grain nitrogen content (2.98%) was observed in Artan cultivar at 800 mg.lit-1 humic acid and the lowest value (1.49%) was obtained from Abidar cultivar without humic acid application. Grain yield also increased significantly with the application of humic acid, and the highest grain yield was obtained from the Qaflan and Abidar cultivars at the highest concentration of humic acid. Furthermore, the application of humic acid led to a decrease in forage crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber, and increase in the forage protein and ash percentage, indicating improvement of forage quality.
Conclusion
The results of this study demonstrated that humic acid as a potent biostimulant, can increase grain and forage yield as well as the nutritional quality of barley. Based on the results of this experiment, the optimal application rate of humic acid was 800 mg.lit-1. This level significantly improved all measured parameters of barley grain and forage. Thus, humic acid has the potential to optimize rainfed barley cultivation in semi-arid regions. Future research should be conducted to investigate the effects of humic acid on various barley cultivars and under diverse environmental conditions in order to develop practical and comprehensive guidelines for the use of humic acid.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Cereal Research
Volume 14, Issue 4 - Serial Number 53
February 2025
Pages 397-414

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