2.2 Fertilizer and irrigation treatments
Fertilizer treatments consisted of two Zn sources
including ZnSO4 and Zn-EDTA at a rate of 5 mg/kg,
while fertilizer without Zn was applied as a control
treatment. And irrigation regimes included CF and
AWD, which were applied from 10 d after transplanting
to maturity. On 10 d after transplanting,
tensiometers were installed in one pot from each
treatment. In the AWD regime, pots were not irrigated
until the soil water potential reached −10 kPa. The
cycle was repeated throughout the season. In the CF
regime, the water layer (30 mm above the soil surface)
was kept by applying distilled water until one week
before harvest as recommended by good farming
practices. Treatments were arranged randomly with
three replications.