Soil Type and Zinc Doses in Agronomic Biofortification of Lettuce Genotypes

Hilário Júnior De Almeida,Munir Mauad,Arthur Bernardes Cecílio Filho,Victor Manuel Vergara Carmona,Antônio Eduardo Furtini Neto,Maykom Ferreira Inocêncio

doi:10.3390/agronomy10010124

Abstract

The incidence of many malnutrition-related diseases among the populations of developing countries is closely related to low dietary zinc (Zn) intakes. This study evaluated the potential of agronomic biofortification of lettuce genotypes with Zn in different soils. We evaluated the ability to biofortify three lettuce genotypes (‘Grand Rapids’, ‘Regina de Verão’, and ‘Delícia’) in two soils (Red-Yellow Latosol and Dystroferric Red Latosol) using five doses of Zn (0, 5, 10, 20, and 30 mg kg−1). At 55 days after sowing, the plants were harvested. There was an interaction among the soils, genotypes, and Zn doses. Regardless of the soil and genotype, the increase in Zn supply promoted a linear increase in shoot Zn concentration. However, shoot and root dry matter yields were differentially affected by Zn supply according to the genotype and soil type. Overall, the Red-Yellow Latosol provided a higher shoot Zn concentration but also caused greater growth damage, especially in ‘Regina de Verão’ and ‘Delícia’. ‘Grand Rapids’ was biofortified the most in Red-Yellow Latosol.

Highlights

The population growth rate on the planet is 1.08% per year
This study evaluated the response of lettuce genotypes to Zn application for biofortification in two soils
‘Regina de Verão’ genotypes showed maximum RDM (3.7 g per plant) in Dystroferric Red Latosol (dRL) at at 14.2 mg −1 kg−1 of Zn, which is equivalent to a 48% increase over not applying Zn to the soil

Summary

Introduction

The population growth rate on the planet is 1.08% per year. The current population count is around 7.6 billion [1]. It is estimated to exceed nine billion by 2050 [2]. Considering that the primary sources of nutrients come directly or indirectly from foods produced by agriculture, this population increase strongly pressures the environment to meet such a demand [3,4]. Increasing crop yields has been important for reducing global undernourishment from about 19% to 13% between 1990 and. Micronutrient deficiency currently affects almost half of the world’s population, and Zn deficiency is one of the major public health concerns in developing countries [6]

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Results

Discussion

Conclusion