Foliar applied zinc increases yield, zinc concentration, and germination in wheat genotypes

Abstract

Human malnutrition associated with zinc (Zn) deficiency is a growing problem in many areas. This study was conducted to assess wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypic variation of grain Zn concentration, grain germination, and grain yield in response to foliar application of Zn. Twenty-four wheat genotypes, including several recombinant inbred lines (RILs) and commercial cultivars, were assessed in two separate experiments; one experiment sprayed with ZnSO 4 ⋅7H 2 O dissolved in water at wheat heading growth stage and one without applying Zn foliar treatment. The range for grain (25.1-63.1) and endosperm (1.2-61.6 mg kg −1 ) Zn concentrations were different between the two Zn treatments. Significant (p = .05) genotype × Zn treatment interactions showed that some genotypes were more responsive to Zn applications than others. The application of Zn increased the Zn concentration in the endosperm in 18 out of the 24 genotypes. For grain, Zn application increased the concentration in the grain in 21 out of the 24 genotypes. Grain yield and germination were increased in the Zn treated cultivars compared with non-treated. In conclusion, foliar application of Zn improved traits in wheat, and identified genetic variation lays the foundation for genotype selection with respect to higher Zn concentration.Abbreviations: CCA, canonical correlation analysis; CIMMYT, international maize and wheat improvement center; DTZ, diphenyl-thiocarbazone; GCV, genotypic coefficients of variations; GE, germination energy; GS, germination speed; GV, germination value; MTG, mean time of germination; PCA, principal component analysis; PCV, phenotypic coefficients of variations; RCBD, randomized complete block design; RIL, recombinant inbred line; TPN, total pixel number.

Zinc nutrition to enhance rice productivity, zinc use efficiency, and grain biofortification under different production systems

“…Zincinduced increase in paddy yield was associated with increased number of fertile tillers, kernels per panicle, and 1,000-kernel weight (Table 1). Application of Zn improved the pollination and pollen tube development and increased kernel number per panicle and ultimately the grain yield (Farooq et al, 2018;Shariatipour, Alavikia, Vahed, Velu, & Heidari, 2020).…”

“…Zinc‐induced increase in paddy yield was associated with increased number of fertile tillers, kernels per panicle, and 1,000‐kernel weight (Table 1). Application of Zn improved the pollination and pollen tube development and increased kernel number per panicle and ultimately the grain yield (Farooq et al., 2018; Shariatipour, Alavikia, Vahed, Velu, & Heidari, 2020). In the present study, the highest grain yield with Zn seed priming might be attributed to an increase in kernel size (Amanullah & Inamullah, 2016) and a decrease in panicle sterility (Rehman et al., 2018), compared with the control.…”

Zinc nutrition and human health: Overview and implications

“…Foliar application of ZnSO 4 ·7H 2 O to different (24 samples) wheat genotypes exhibited that not all genotypes were responsive to the treatment. About 18 genotypes showed increased Zn concentration in the endosperm, whereas for grain Zn concentration, a higher number (21) of genotypes showed a positive response (Shariatipour et al, 2020). A similar observation has also been reported by Khoshgoftarmanesh et al (2013) for soil Zn application to different wheat cultivars.…”