Evaluation of Wheat Cultivars for Zinc Efficiency and Bio-fortification

Abstract

The present study was conducted to identify Zn efficient/inefficient wheat genotypes through application of Zn. A field experiment was conducted during 2009-10 and 2010-11 under AICRP on micro-secondary nutrients and pollutant element in soils and plants at Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur. The sixteen varieties of wheat crop and three levels of Zn (0, 20 kg Zn ha-1 as basal application and 20 kg Zn ha-1 as soil application in combination of 0.5% foliar spray of ZnSO4) were tested in a split plot design. The pooled data showed that variety GW-366 and GW-273 were found significantly superior to all other varieties for grain yield, uptake by grain and total Zn uptake. The Zn content in grain and straw of Sujata, C-306 and WH-147 were observed significantly superior to other wheat varieties. The Zn concentration in grain and straw and their Zn uptake successively and significantly increased with the application of 20 kg Zn ha-1 and 20 kg Zn + 0.5% foliar spray of ZnSO4. The most effective Zn fertilization could be via soil+foliar for enhancement of grain Zn concentrations of Zn‐inefficient genotype GW-273.