Improving Growth and Productivity of Two Maize (Zea mays L.) Cultivars Through Foliar Application of Humic Acid Under Saline Soil Conditions

Al-fahdawe, Omer Ismail; Abdulmajeed, Amer Hashim; Al-Fahdawy, Mohammed Ismail; AlFahdawy, Harith

doi:10.36531/ijds.2025.167372.1108

	Improving Growth and Productivity of Two Maize (Zea mays L.) Cultivars Through Foliar Application of Humic Acid Under Saline Soil Conditions
IRAQI JOURNAL OF DESERT STUDIES
Volume 15, Issue 2, December 2025, Pages 41-47 PDF (693.1 K)
Document Type: Research Paper
DOI: 10.36531/ijds.2025.167372.1108
Authors
Omer Ismail Al-fahdawe^* ¹; Amer Hashim Abdulmajeed²; mohammed ismail Al-Fahdawy³; Harith AlFahdawy³
¹جامعة الانبار
²قسم المحاصيل الحقلية - كلية الزراعة
³مركز دراسات الصحراء - جامعة الانبار
Abstract
With the aim of evaluating the role of humic acid in mitigating the effects of soil salts on the growth and yield of two varieties of maize, this study was conducted in the fields of Al-Bu’aitha Agricultural Station during the autumn season of 2024. A land with a high salinity level was selected within the research station. The study was arranged in a split-plot layout within a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Humic acid levels (H0, H1, H2, H3) were distributed in the main panels, while the varieties (Nahrain and Research 5082) were distributed in the sub-plots. The results indicated that humic acid reduced the adverse impact of soil salinity on most studied traits. The concentration H2 produced the highest values of grain weight per ear (46.96 g ear⁻¹) and 300-grain weight (53.71 g). While the high concentration of 3 ml H₂⁻¹ was superior in most traits, it increased the average plant height (182.66 cm plant⁻¹), leaf area (4816.00 cm² plant⁻¹), total leaf chlorophyll content (55.40 Spad), total yield (4061.66 kg ha⁻¹) , No significant differences were observed between the varieties except in some traits, with the variety Buhouth 5082 exhibiting the highest average plant height (159.41 cm plant⁻¹) . As for the interaction between the two study factors, the high concentration of humic acid (H3) with the two varieties achieved a significant interaction, and the traits were distributed between the two varieties. However, the most important interaction was with the Nahrain variety, which recorded the highest average yield per unit area (4337.33 kg ha-1).
Keywords
zea mays; humic acid; Saline Soil; grain yield

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