Influence of foliar micronutrient application on grain iron and zinc concentration in pearl millet

Abstract

Can foliar feeding during grain fill shift the mineral density of pearl millet enough to matter for nutrition? This research tested seven spray treatments on pearl millet at the University of Reading, UK, during 2022-2023. Treatments included ferrous sulfate (FeSO₄) and zinc sulfate (ZnSO₄) at 0.5% and 1.0%, their combinations, and a control, applied at booting and 50% flowering. The combined Fe+Zn at 1.0% produced 56.9 mg Fe/kg and 44.6 mg Zn/kg 81.2% and 101.8% increases over the control. Grain yield didn’t differ among treatments. Foliar co-application of iron and zinc at 1.0% is a practical biofortification approach for pearl millet.