Synergistic effect of N and Zn application in biofortifying Zn of efficient and inefficient group of wheat cultivars

Abstract

In developing countries, daily diet is largely contributed by cereals, which have low genetic abilities, to in mass higher concentrations of micronutrients including zinc (Zn) in their grains. Hence, wide spread deficiencies of zinc and other essential nutrients are prevailing in the human. Present study focuses the biofortification of Zn in wheat grains, taking advantage of synergistic effect of the micronutrient i.e., zinc and macronutrient i.e., nitrogen (N). Nitrogen and Zinc are the two major yield-limiting factors in wheat which interacts and affects the availability of each other. In order to evaluate the interactive effects of N and Zn on yield and quality of Wheat, a field study for consecutive two years was conducted at Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal under the regime of AICRP-MSPE. Six treatments were comprised of namely T1- Low Zn Soil (0 Kg Zn ha−1), T2- 20 kg Zn ha 1 soil application, T3- Three foliar sprays of ZnSO4 @ 0.5%, T4- 20 kg Zn ha−1 soil application + foliar Zn application, T5- 20 kg Zn ha−1 soil application + 25% additional nitrogen application and T6- Foliar Zn application + 25% additional nitrogen application. From the study it was observed that soil application of Zn along with three foliar sprays was equally good, when compared with 25% additional N application along with three foliar sprays of Zn, in terms of grain Zn content, in both efficient as well as inefficient group of cultivars. Whereas the grain yield was comparable in efficient cultivars for treatments T4 (Soil Zn combined along with three foliar sprays of Zn) and T6 (25% additional Nitrogen along with three foliar sprays of Zn) but was significantly higher in inefficient group of cultivars by treatment T4 as compared to T6. Maximum enhancement in protein contents was observed in treatment T4 which was significantly higher than the treatments T1, T2, T3 and T5 but was at par with the treatment T6. The phytate: Zn ratio was also lowest in the treatment T6 followed by treatment T4. So, the soil application of Zn along with three foliar sprays is the best treatment in terms of grain yield whereas additional application of 25% Nitrogen application along with three foliar sprays of Zn was equally good in terms of grain Zn and protein content of wheat, in both Zn-efficient as well as inefficient group of cultivars