Impact of foliar application of humic acid and seaweed on growth and quality of wheat

A field experiment was conducted in Sof Al-Jin Farm in Bani Walid, Libya, during the agricultural winter season 2023/2024 to study the effect of humic acid and seaweed Ulva SLE at different concentrations on vegetative growth, yield and yield components and chemical compositions of wheat cv. "Kufra".  The experiment was applied according to Randomized complete Block Design (RCBD) with 12 treatments was applied and each treatment contented of three replicates. The treatments were humic acid at four concentrations (2, 4, 6, 8 g/l), seaweed application at four concentrations (3, 6, 9, 12 g/ l), HA 6g/l + SLE 9g/l, HA 8g/l + SLE 12 g/l and control treatment. Results showed that, increasing foliar application of humic acid and seaweed concentrations significantly increased all vegetative growth were studied, which mixed of HA 8g/l + SLE 12 g/l recorded the higher plant height, shoot fresh weight, leaf area, total chlorophyll, number of tillers/ plant, followed by mixed of HA 6g/l + SLE 9 g/l, Ulva SLE at 12g/l and HA at 8g/l, also recorded the yield and yield components i.e. spike length, number of grain/ spike, 1000-grain weight, grain yield, biological yield, harvest index and chemical composition traits i.e. nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, total carbohydrates, protein percentages, respectively, as compared with control treatment which recorded the lower all vegetative growth, yield and yield components and chemical composition of wheat. In conclusion, the majority of wheat growth parameters, yield and yield components and chemical composition were all raised by foliar application of humic acid and seaweed extract (Ulva SLE) of spring wheat.