EFFECT OF FOLIAR FEEDING OF IRON , ZINC AND POTASSIUM ON GRAIN YIELD , AND PROTEIN PERCENTAGE OF BREAD WHEAT

A field experiment was conducted during the growing seasons (2002 - 2003) and (2003 - 2004) at the experimental fields of college of Agriculture - Abu - Ghraib - University of Baghdad in a silty clay loam (Typic Torrifluvent) to investigate the effect of foliar feeding of Iron, Zinc and Potassium on yield, yield components and quality of wheat, cultivar - IPAA - 99. The experimental design was split - split plots with using the RCBD with three replicates. Potash treatments occupied the main plots, K-0 :control treatment, K-1 :120 kg K.ha(-1) applied to the soil, K-2 :5000 mg K.l(-1) foliar, K-3 : 120 kg K.ha(-1) applied to the soil + 3000 mg K.l(-1) foliar, K-4 : 120 kg K.ha(-1) applied to the soil + 6000 mg K.l(-1) foliar, and K-5 :120 kg K.ha(-l) applied to the soil + 9000 mg K.l(-1) foliar . Zinc treatments 0,15, and 30 mg Zn.l(-1) occupied the sub plots, while the iron treatments 0, 50 and 100 mg Fe.L-1 occupied the sub - sub plots. Results showed that the combination of 120 kg K.ha(-l) applied to the soil and spraying with the conc. of 100 mg Fe.l(-1) as foliar feeding gave significant dada for the middle number of grain per ear, that was 6.5 g grain/ear. Also, results showed that the combination of Fe-0 x Zn-0 x K-5 had significant dada compared with other combinations and gave the highest middle of grain weight which was 37.33 mg. Also spraying with 100 mg Fe.l(-1) +30 mg Zn.l(-1) had significant increase and was superior compared with other combinations and gave the highest grain yield that was 6.93 ton.ha(-l) and 715 ton.ha(-l) for the first and second growing seasons respectively. Also results indicated that the combination of 120 kg K.ha(-1) applied to the soil and spraying with the conc. of 100 mg Fe.l(-1) as feeding gave significant dada for the protein percentage and gave the highest protein percentage that were 13.99% and 13.77% for the first and second growing seasons respectively.