Efficiency of leaf fertilisers in complex fertilisation of cereals on southern chornozems of Northern Kazakhstan

Anara Sarsenova, Razia Khusainova, Gulnara Kabzhanova, Guldana Seitova, Tamerlan Nakosthoyev
Received: 02.02.2025 Revised: 02.08.2025 Accepted: 27.08.2025
Retrieved from Vol. 28, No. 8, 2025 Pages: 62-75
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Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of foliar feeding on the physiology, yield and economic efficiency of spring wheat in Northern Kazakhstan. The field trials were conducted during the growing season of 2024 (May-August) at the experimental plot of Kokshetau University named after Sh. Ualikhanov and were aimed to assess the agricultural, ecological and economic efficiency of different schemes of foliar feeding of spring wheat. The study included five variants of the experiment, which differed in the composition and frequency of fertiliser application, including urea, microelements and biostimulants. The variants with foliar treatments showed a stable advantage in agrophysiological parameters, especially in hot and dry weather conditions, at a temperature of about +33°C and air humidity of 30-35%. The highest results were obtained with two-time foliar feeding (variant B5), where the yield reached 43.2 c/ha, which exceeded the control by 5.6 c/ha (14.9%). The weight of 1,000 grains increased to 45.6 g, the productive density to 417 stems/m2, and the number of ears per ear to 16.5. The duration of the flag leaf functioning in this variant reached 14 days, and the chlorophyll level remained high during the filling phase. There was a significant reduction in leaf rust (down to 14.5%) and a 15% increase in the share of milled grain. The economic analysis demonstrated that option B5 provided the highest income (129,600 tg/ha) with a payback ratio of 2.1 and an economic effect of 18,000 tg/ha. The other options provided a yield increase of 3.3 to 4.7 cwt/ha with payback periods ranging from 1.6 to 1.9. The data confirm the expediency of integrating phase-selected foliar fertilisation into wheat cultivation technologies in the risky farming zone. Comparing experiments in different years in terms of moisture levels, it can be concluded that, provided there is sufficient moisture, foliar feeding is more effective when combined with the main application of macronutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus

Keywords

physiological activity; productive stems; chlorophyll content; vitality index; microelements; spring wheat; yield

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Sarsenova, A., Khusainova, R., Kabzhanova, G., Seitova, G., & Nakosthoyev, T. (2025). Efficiency of leaf fertilisers in complex fertilisation of cereals on southern chornozems of Northern Kazakhstan. Scientific Horizons, 28(8), 62-75. https://doi.org/10.48077/scihor8.2025.62