Foliar Application of Micronutrients for Crop Yield and Quality

Foliar application of micronutrients has emerged as a versatile strategy to address trace element deficiencies that constrain crop yield, quality and resilience. By delivering essential elements such as zinc, boron, iron and copper directly to leaf surfaces, this approach bypasses limitations of soil chemistry and root uptake under diverse edaphic and climatic conditions. Nutrient forms include soluble salts, chelates and nano-engineered formulations, each tailored to optimise cuticular penetration, phloem mobility and assimilation into metabolic pathways. Foliar sprays can correct transient deficiencies during critical phenological stages, enhance photosynthetic efficiency, promote flowering and fruit set, and augment the biosynthesis of developmentally important compounds including pigments, phenolics and vitamins. Such interventions have demonstrated improvements in fruit yield, nutritional value, stress tolerance and post-harvest quality across wide-ranging crops from horticultural fruits to aromatic and medicinal plants. Integration of foliar micronutrient management into broader nutrient and water-use programmes offers a cost-effective and environmentally sensitive means to sustain agricultural productivity in the face of soil degradation, climate variability and growing global food demands.

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Foliar Application of Micronutrients for Crop Yield and Quality publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in foliar application of micronutrients for crop yield and quality across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Micronutrients: Elements required in small amounts for plant growth and development, such as zinc, boron, iron and copper.

Foliar application: The process of applying nutrients directly to plant leaves to supplement soil fertilisation and improve nutrient uptake.

Chelated form: Nutrient elements bound to organic molecules to enhance solubility and plant availability when applied via foliar sprays.

Nanoformulations: Micronutrients engineered at the nanoscale to increase surface area and improve penetration and efficacy in foliar fertilisation.

Phenolics: Plant secondary metabolites involved in quality traits such as flavour, colour and antioxidant activity, whose accumulation can be influenced by micronutrient status.

References

1. Responses of Nutritional Status and Productivity of Timor Mango Trees to Foliar Spray of Conventional and/or Nano Zinc. Sustainability (2024).
2. Effects of Foliar Fertilization on Nutrient Uptake, Yield, and Fruit Quality of Pomelo (Citrus grandis Osbeck) Grown in the Mekong Delta Soils. International Journal of Agronomy (2022).
3. Quality Responses of Table Grapes ‘Flame Seedless’ as Effected by Foliarly Applied Micronutrients. Horticulturae (2021).
4. Foliar application of nutrients on medicinal and aromatic plants, the sustainable approaches for higher and better production. Beni-Suef University Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences (2022).