Poor physicochemical properties of soils in the drought-prone areas of northwestern Iran have led to a significant zinc deficiency in wheat production systems. A field study was conducted to evaluate the impact of applying EDTA chelated zinc fertilizer through soil and the foliar application of zinc oxide nanoparticles on wheat cultivars (G1: Gonbad, G2: Shiroudi, G3: Chamran, G4: N-87-20, G5: Morvarid, G6: Darya) in the northwest area. The results showed that the heaviest spikes were produced with foliar spray of zinc oxide nanoparticles in G5 (2.27 g), while the application of chelated zinc fertilizer in G1 produced heavier spikes (2.02 g). The highest grain yield was obtained in G5 and G4 with chelated zinc (1279 and 1224 kg/ha, respectively) and in G6 and G2 with zinc nanoparticle spray (1185 and 1207 kg/ha, respectively). The findings showed that the genotypes Darya, Marvarid, Chamran, and Gonbad exhibited a strong response to the types of zinc fertilizers used. The findings indicated that the optimal methods of zinc application are also influenced by the genotype. The choice of application methods must be made deliberately and based on climate, soil conditions, and genotypes.
greenness index, relative water content, silique number, soil improvement, synergistic relationships