Organic manures: an efcient move towards maize grain biofortifcation

Purpose In a novel approach, certain organic wastes byproducts of agro industries were assessed for their ability to support maize growth and Zn bioavailability in maize grain. Methods In a feld experiment, maize (Zea mays) was supplemented with farm yard manure (FYM), press mud (PM), fsheries manure (FM), and slaughter house waste (SHW) in combination with Zn soil application (ZnS) and Zn foliar spray (ZnF) with recommended doses of N:P:K (۱۴۰:۱۰۰:۶۰ kg ha−۱), respectively. Besides assessing the maize growth, grain, and straw yield, Zn bioavailability in maize grain was also studied. Results Organic materials combined with ZnS and ZnF signifcantly increased the maize yield and Zn bioavailability. PM+ZnS increased the grain yield by ۶۹.۷۱%, while FM+ZnF and FYM+ZnF increased the grain Zn concentration by ۸۶.۳۷ and ۸۶.۱۶%, respectively. Moreover, grain Zn content was greatly infuenced by PM +ZnS and PM+ZnF resulted an average increase by ۱۶۰%. Phytate concentration and phytae:Zn molar ratio in grain were decreased by ۳۰.۳۴ and ۶۶.۹۲%, respectively by FYM+ZnF. Estimated Zn bioavailability ranged from ۰.۹۲ to ۲.۰۴ mg Zn/۳۰۰ g in maize grain, and was maximum by PM and FYM combined with ZnF. Conclusion Organic manures infuence the nutrient uptake from soil, increase the product quality, and act as a good organic fertilizer. The current study revealed that organic manures can enhance crop growth and Zn uptake in grain in sustainable manner. It would be an eco-friendly approach by utilizing organic wastes annually generated by agro industries.