EFFECTS OF FOLIAR MICRONUTRIENT FERTILIZERS ON THE YIELD OF IRRIGATED COTTON ON THE VERTISOLS OF THE SUDAN GEZIRA

Field experiments were conducted on very alkaline calcareous soils to investigate the effects of two proprietary foliar micronutrient fertilizers, Wuxal Suspension Polymicro and Bayfolan 11-8-6, containing iron, zinc, manganese and boron, on the seed cotton yield of Gossypium barbadense and G. hirsutum. Two applications of foliar fertilizer, one at flowering and one three weeks after flowering, increased yield by 40-68%. The foliar fertilizers enhanced earliness and minimized nutrient depletion from the leaves, and thus increased reproductive efficiency.