Effect of zinc-biofortified seeds on grain yield of wheat, rice, and common bean grown in six countries
Seeds enriched with zinc are usually associated with better germination, more vigorous seedlings and higher yields.
Abstract
Seeds enriched with zinc (Zn) are usually associated with better germination, more vigorous seedlings and higher yields. However, agronomic benefits of high鈥怹n seeds were not studied under diverse agro鈥恈limatic field conditions. This study investigated effects of low鈥怹n and high鈥怹n seeds (biofortified by foliar Zn fertilization of maternal plants under field conditions) of wheat (Tritcum aestivum L.), rice (Oryza sativa L.), and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) on seedling density, grain yield and grain Zn concentration in 31 field locations over two years in six countries. Experimental treatments were: (1) low鈥怹n seeds and no soil Zn fertilization (control treatment), (2) low鈥怹n seeds + soil Zn fertilization, and (3) Zn鈥恇iofortified seeds and no soil Zn fertilization. The wheat experiments were established in China, India, Pakistan, and Zambia, the rice experiments in China, India and Thailand, and the common bean experiment in Brazil. When compared to the control treatment, soil Zn fertilization increased wheat grain yield in all six locations in India, two locations in Pakistan and one location in China. Zinc鈥恇iofortified seeds also increased wheat grain yield in all four locations in Pakistan and four locations in India compared to the control treatment. Across all countries over 2 years, Zn鈥恇iofortified wheat seeds increased plant population by 26.8% and grain yield by 5.37%. In rice, soil Zn fertilization increased paddy yield in all four locations in India and one location in Thailand. Across all countries, paddy yield increase was 8.2% by soil Zn fertilization and 5.3% by Zn鈥恇iofortified seeds when compared to the control treatment. In common bean, soil Zn application as well as Zn鈥恇iofortified seed increased grain yield in one location in Brazil. Effects of soil Zn fertilization and high鈥怹n seed on grain Zn density were generally low. This study, at 31 field locations in six countries over two years, revealed that the seeds biofortfied with Zn enhanced crop productivity at many locations with different soil and environmental conditions. As high鈥怹n grains are a by鈥恜roduct of Zn biofortification, use of Zn鈥恊nriched grains as seed in the next cropping season can contribute to enhance crop productivity in a cost鈥恊ffective manner.
This article is an output of the HarvestPlus programme
Citation
Rashid, Abdul; Ram, Hari; Zou, Chun-Qin; Rerkasem, Benjavan; Duarte, Aildson P; Simunji, Simunji; Yazici, Atilla; Guo, Shiwei; Rizwan, Muhammad; Bal, Rajinder S; Wang, Zhaohui; Malik, Sudeep S; Phattarakul, Nattinee; Soares de Freitas, Rogerio; Lungu, Obed; Barros, Vera L. N. P; Cakmak, Ismail. 2019. Effect of zinc-biofortified seeds on grain yield of wheat, rice, and common bean grown in six countries. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science. 182(5):791-804.