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African Journal of Environmental Economics and Management ISSN 2375-0707 Vol. 2 (1), pp. 177-180, 
January, 2014. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals 

 

Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. 

 
 

Full Length Research Paper 
  

An investigation of zinc uptake by maize plants 
 after fertilization with soil and foliage 

   
1Pedro Lima*, 1Adriana Gisele, 2Luiz Braga Ponte and 2Alberto Santos Chico 

 
1
Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. 

  
2
Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agricultural Science, University of the State of Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. 

 
Accepted 23 January, 2014 

 
Zinc is an essential micronutrient for the regular and healthy growth and reproduction of plants, animals and 
humans and it is obtained from daily dietary intakes Therefore, the deficiency of this nutrient is a 
consequence of its low concentration in food. In this sense, increasing the density and the bioavailability of 
Zn in edible parts of plants is fundamental to produce better crops. The objectives of the study were to 
investigate the zinc (Zn) uptake by maize plants after fertilization with Zn either via soil or via foliage. It was 
carried out a greenhouse pot experiment using a Typic Hapludox. Maize plants were harvested 100 days after 
seeding and Zn concentrations were determined in leaves and roots. The experimental design consisted of 
five doses of Zn applied via soil as well as via foliar, with three replications, totaling 30 experimental 
samples. Zinc was applied as zinc sulfate solution in the foliage at the third and fifth weeks after seeding. The 
zinc sulfate solution was applied to soil before seeding. The Zn concentrations in roots and shoots of plants 
were analyzed. The results were submitted to ANOVA and regression using the software SAS. Zinc 
concentrations in maize were increased at 5% of significance by F test by the application of Zn doses in soil 
and in the foliage. The application in soil was more effective than in the foliage. 

 
Key words: Zn fertilization, Zn deficiency, Maize yield. 

 
INTRODUCTION 
 
Zinc is a micronutrient for the regular and healthy growth 
and reproduction of plants, animals and humans. Graham 
et al. (1992) commented that there is a critical level 
required for zinc in the soil before roots will either grow 
into it or to function effectively. The metabolic functions of 
zinc are influenced by on its strong tendency to form 
tetrahedral complexes with N-, O- and particularly S-
ligands and thereby to play both a functional (catalytic) 
and a structural role in enzyme reactions. Although over 
70 metalloenzymes containing zinc have been identified, 
these only account for a relatively small proportion of the 
total zinc in a plant (Marschner, 1995).  

When the supply of available zinc for plants is 
inadequate, crop yields are reduced and the quality of 
crop products is normally damaged. In plants, zinc plays 
 
 

 
*Corresponding author E-mail:pedrolima@yahoo.com. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
a key role as a structural constituent or regulatory co-
factor of a wide range of different enzymes and proteins 
in many important biochemical pathways. These are 
mainly concerned with carbohydrate metabolism, both in 
photosynthesis and in the conversion of sugars to starch, 
protein metabolism, auxin (growth regulator) metabolism, 
pollen formation, the maintenance of the integrity of 
biological membranes, the resistance to infection by 
certain pathogens (Alloway, 2008). Necrosis and leaf 
chlorosis are described as symptoms of toxicity of Zn, 
and frequently show disturbances in mineral nutrition, 
such as iron deficiency and reduced uptake and transport 
of water and several elements (Ca, Mg, K and Mn) by 
plants (Benavides et al., 2005).  

Principles for use of micronutrient fertilizer were well 
developed in the latter part of the last century. By 1990 it 
was clear that Zn deficiency in humans were already 
major and still increasing problems, especially in 
developing countries, but also and enormous health cost 



Pedro et al.           177 
 
 

 
in developed countries (Graham, 2008). The potential 
impact of zinc deficiency on infant, child, and maternal 
health in developing countries was not recognized by the 
United Nations until 1997, when zinc was included among 
the micronutrient deficiencies listed as a priority in the 
Third Report on the World Nutrition Situation (ACC/SCN, 
1997). Zinc supplementation can reduce morbidity from a 
number of common childhood infections, especially 
diarrhea, pneumonia, and possibly malaria. In addition, 
zinc deficiency is an important cause of stunting (Umeta 
et al., 2000). Because Zn interacts with such a vast 
number of proteins, symptoms of Zn deficiency in 
humans may be many and indiscriminate, and 
consequently many disease states are not associated 
with its deficiency when they should be. (Graham, 2008).  

Zn fertilizers increase both the yield and quality of 
several crops, including wheat (Hu et al., 2003; Cakmak, 
2008), rice (Liu et al., 2003), and peas (Fawzi et al., 
1993). Given most Brazilian soils present low Zn 
concentrations (Gonçalves Junior et al., 2006; 
Nascimento et al., 2006), the proper management of Zn 
fertilization can increase the concentrations of Zn in 
plants edible parts. This is of paramount importance for 
adequate levels of this nutrient in the human diet.  

Plant roots uptake Zn as Zn
2+

 cation which is 

component of synthetic and organic complexes (Havlin et 
al., 2005; Oliveira & Nascimento, 2006). The zinc 
available to plants is in the soil solution or adsorbed in a 
labile form. The soil factors affecting the availability of 
zinc to plants control the amount of zinc in the soil 
solution and its sorption-desorption from/into the soil 
solution. These factors include: the total zinc 
concentration, pH, organic matter concentration, clay 
concentration, calcium carbonate concentration, redox 
conditions, microbial activity in the rhizosphere, soil 
moisture status, concentrations of other trace elements, 
concentrations of macro-nutrients, especially phosphorus, 
and climate (Alloway, 2008). Soil pH is the main factor 
affecting Zn distribution in soil pools, since this element is 
readily adsorbed in exchange cation sites at above-
neutral pH and made available at low pH values 
(Broadley et al., 2007; Havlin et al., 2005).  

Taking in account the Zn role in plant nutrition as well 
as the importance of supplying Zn to plants in an 
adequate and cost-effective approach, the work aimed to 
compare zinc levels in maze plants after two different Zn 
applications to plants, i.e., via foliar and via soil. 
 
 
MATERIAL AND METHODS 
 
The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse using a 
Typic Hapludox soil from Igarassu town, Pernambuco 
state, Brazil (7°50' S and 34°54' W). The soil sample was 
characterized (EMBRAPA, 1997) and presented the 

following characteristics: pH H2 O (1:2.5): 5.6; CEC: 6.95 

 
 
 

 
cmolc kg

-1
; calcium: 2.45 cmolc kg

-1
; magnesium: 2.05 

cmolc kg
-1

; sodium: 0.07 cmolc kg
-1

; potassium: 0.12 

cmolc kg
-1

; organic carbon: 1.24%; organic matter: 

2.09%; nitrogen: 0.12%; phosphorus: 18.1 mg kg
-1

, zinc: 

2.48 mg kg
-1

, copper: 0,2 mg kg
-1

, iron: 172.0 mg kg
-1

, 

manganese: 4.71 mg kg
-1

. Soil samples were submitted 

to fertilization as follow: 300 mg kg
-1

 of P2O5; 40 mg kg
-1

 

of S; 100 mg kg
-1

 of N; and 150 mg kg
-1

 of K2O (Novais 
et al, 1991). Then, ten liter pots were filled with soil and 
five seeds of maize (Zea mays) hybrids Pioneer 30R75 
were sown in each pot. After emergence, only one plant 
was left in each pot for the experiment. Zn was foliarly 
applied as zinc sulfate at the third and fifth week after 
seeding whereas zinc sulfate was applied into the soil 
before sowing. The experimental design consisted of five 
doses of Zn applied either to soil or leaves, with three 
replications, totaling 30 experimental units. Zn doses 
applied to soil were based on the dose recommend by 

Fageria (2000) of 20.0 mg dm
-3

 as zinc sulfate (23% Zn). 
Thus, the applied doses were 0; 10; 20; 40; and 80 mg 

dm
-3

 of Zn. For foliar application, doses were based on 

Abreu et al. (2007): 10 g L
-1

 of zinc sulfate (23% Zn). 

Therefore, the doses used were 0; 5; 10; 15 and 20 g L
-1

 
of zinc sulfate applied at the third and fifth week after 
sowing. At the end of the experiment, the height of 100-
day old plants was measured. The plants were harvested 
and separated into roots, stems and leaves, which, after 
being washed in distilled water and dried in an oven of 
forced air at 70ºC to constant weight, they were weighed 
and ground in a mill type Wiley. Subsequently, the 
nitropercloric digestion of these materials was performed 
for determination of Cu and Zn in the extracts by atomic 
absorption spectrophotometry according to EMBRAPA 
(1999). The results were submitted to ANOVA and 
regression analyze using the software SAS (SAS Inst., 
2002). 
 
 
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 
 
Zinc concentration in roots and shoots of maize plants 
were increased by Zn application both in soil and leaves. 
Regarding the form of application, Zn concentrations in 
roots and shoots showed a similar trend. The highest 
values were obtained by soil application (Figure 1). The 
highest Zn doses promoted the maximum Zn 

concentration in plants both for soil (80 mg dm
-3

 of Zn 

sulfate) and foliar application (20 g L
-1

 of zinc sulfate). 

The 10 mg dm
-3

 dose applied in soil promoted a 72% 
increment of Zn concentration in shoots (Figure 1) while 

an increase of 67% was obtained with dose 5 g L
-1

 by 
foliar application compared to control. Zn concentration in 

roots increased 88% by applying 10 mg dm
-3

 of Zn in soil, 

whereas the doses 20, 40, and 80 mg dm
-3

 promoted 
increments of 38, 34, and 28%, respectively. When 

applied in the foliage, the 5 g L
-1

 dose increased by 32% 



                              178         Afr. J. Environ. Econ. Manage.
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[Z
n

] 
(m

g
 k

g
-1
) 

 
 

 
7000,0 
 
6000,0 
 
5000,0 
 
4000,0 
 
3000,0 
 
2000,0 
 
1000,0 
 

0,0   
0 

 
 
 

 
 shoots 

 roots 
 
Roots: y = 6,415x + 153,95  

R
2
 = 0,7729 

Shoots: y = 26,191x + 139,26  
R

2
 = 0,9974 

 
 
 
 
20 40 60 80 
 

Zn doses (mg dm
-3

) 
 
Figure 1: Zinc concentration in shoots and roots of maize plants fertilized with zinc via soil 
 
 
 
 

 

[Z
n

] 
(m

g
 k

g
-1
) 

 
 
 

1200,0            

shoots: y = 43,155x + 169,63 
  

 

       

shoots 
     

 

             
 

1000,0 
       

roots 
   

R
2
 = 0,8228   

 

             

            
 

800,0 
                 

                
 

600,0                 
 

400,0            
y = 6,797x + 0,642   

 

               

200,0            R
2
 = 0,6654   

 

                
 

0,0                 
 

                 

0 5    10 15 20 
  

Zn doses (g L
-1

) 
 
Figure 2 – Zinc concentration in shoots and roots of maize plants fertilized with zinc via foliar 

 
 
 

 
in roots Zn concentration; similarly, the doses 10, 15, and 

20 g L
-1

 of Zn promoted increases of 10%, 32% and 66%, 
respectively. Zn concentration in maize plants ranges 

from 25 to 150 mg kg
-1

 for shoots, depending on the soil 
aeration and soil temperature, moisture in the root zone 
as well as the genetic material (Malavolta, 2006). For the 
highest Zn dose applied in soil, Zn concentration in 

shoots was 2,258 mg kg
-1

. On the other hand, the higher 

dose applied in leaves reached 1,186 mg kg
-1

 in shoots. 
The increasing trend of Zn uptake by plants (Figures 1 
and 2) indicates that the Zn fertilization via soil as well as 
via foliar can both be adequate strategies to supply of Zn 
to maize plants, since it can be observed that the Zn 
uptake by shoots and roots were increased according to 
the increment of Zn doses.  

The height of plants presented the highest values for 
the higher doses for Zn applied both in soil and in the 
foliage (Figures 3a and 3b), but the values were more 
effective when Zn doses were applied in soil (Figure 3a).  

Adequate supply of Zn might also contribute to the 
enrichment of maize grains, a staple crop responsible for 

 
 
 

 
the nutrition of millions of people in the developed 
countries (Allen et al., 2006). Although some authors 
state that the efficiency of foliar application is higher than 
ground fertilization (Malavolta, 2006), the Zn uptake by 
roots was more effective in this study. A study carried out 
by Amiri et al (2008) also presented this trend in apple, 
which foliar application of Zn resulted in decreasing fruit 
yield and quality. Several chemical (soil pH, redox 
potential or nutrient interactions), physical (organic matter 
content, soil texture, or clay content and type) and 
biological factors (mycorrhizae formation, 
phytosiderophore release) operating at the root–soil 
interface may affect availability and absorption of zinc 
and subsequently, zinc efficiency (Hacisalihoglu and 
Kochian, 2003). 
 
 
CONCLUSIONS 
 
Both the foliar and soil fertilization were efficient for 
increasing Zn concentration in maize plants and also 



Pedro et al.           179
 
 
 
 
 90 

 

(c
m

) 85 
 

 
 

H
e

ig
h

t 80 
 

 
 

 75 
 

 70 
  

0 
 
 
 
 90 

 

 85 
 

(c
m

) 80 
 

75  

H
e
ig

h
t 

 

70 
 

  

 65 
 

 60 
  
0 

 
 
 

 
(a)  

y = 0,1685x + 74,985 

R
2
 = 0,8525 

 
 
 
 
 

 
20 40 60 80 
 

Zn doses (mg dm
-3

) 
 

 
(b)  

y = 0,898x + 67,48 

R
2
 = 0,9673 

 
 
 
 
 

 
5 10 15 20  

Zn doses (g L
-1

) 

 
Figure 3 – Height of maize plants fertilized with zinc via soil (a) and via foliar (b). 

 

 
contributed for their growth.  

The highest values of Zn concentration in plants were 
observed when Zn was applied via soil. 
 
 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
 
This research was sponsored by Fundação de Amparo à 
Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco 
(FACEPE) and by Conselho Nacional de 
Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq). 
 
 
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