Efficiency of Nano and Mineral Iron in Sustaining Faba Bean (Vicia Faba L.) Productivity Within Different Soil Orders

Source abstract

The decline in agricultural production rates necessitates the advancement of this sector by enhancing production efficiency through various modern technologies. Among these technologies in the field of fertilizers and fertilization is nanofertilizer technology. To achieve this goal, a biological experiment was conducted in the greenhouse of the Department of Soil Sciences and Water Resources, College of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Mosul, during the winter season of 2024/2025. The study aimed to evaluate the response of Broad Bean (Vicia faba L., Mornash cultivar) to the interaction between nano and mineral iron in two different soil orders within Nineveh Governorate.The experiment was implemented according to a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) as a factorial experiment with three replicates and three factors, first (S) Two types of soil with different textures., Second (M) Mineral fertilization, Tharid (N) Nano-fertilization. The total number of experimental units was 54 (2 soil types × 3 soil application levels × 3 foliar application levels × 3 replicates). Significant differences between treatments were evaluated using the Least Significant Difference (LSD) test at a significance level of 0.05. Key Results,Foliar Application: The foliar application of iron (both nano and mineral) had a clear impact on the growth of the broad bean plant. It resulted in a significant increase in growth indicators compared to the control treatment, including: plant height (cm), number of branches (branch plant⁻¹), leaf area (cm² plant⁻¹), chlorophyll concentration (SPAD), and shoot dry weight (g plant⁻¹). Yield Components, Significant increases were observed in yield components, including seed dry weight, seed fresh weight (g plant⁻¹), and biological yield (g plant⁻¹). Optimal Concentrations, Foliar applications of 100 mg Fe L⁻¹ and 1.5 g L⁻¹ outperformed other treatments, recording the highest values across all growth and yield indicators. Soil Application, Soil application at rates of 15 kg Fe ha⁻¹ and 4 kg Fe ha⁻¹ excelled over other concentrations in all studied growth and yield traits. Interaction Effects, The results of the dual interaction between soil and foliar application methods showed that the fertilizer combination of 100 mg Fe L⁻¹ (foliar) + 4 kg Fe ha⁻¹ (soil) (N2 + M3) significantly outperformed all other interactions in growth indicators and yield components.