Comparison of Zinc Fertilizer Application Response in Biofortified and Non-Biofortified Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Varieties and Advanced Lines

Author(s) : Zaheer Ahmed, Ayesha1, Aroma Afzal, Mushood Ali, Muhammad Hassaan Khan, Raheela Rehman

Digital object identifier:

https://doi.org/10.52587/JAF060205

Abstract:

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a global staple crop, yet it frequently exhibits zinc (Zn) deficiency, especially in calcareous soils. This study evaluated the effects of soil, foliar, and combined Zn applications on agronomic traits and grain Zn content across ten wheat genotypes, including biofortified and non-biofortified lines. The experiment, conducted under a split-plot RCBD, included four treatments: control (T0), soil application (T1), foliar application (T2), and combined soil + foliar (T3) using ZnSO₄•7H₂O. Significant improvements (p < 0.01) were observed in plant height, flag leaf area, mother spike weight, thousand-grain weight (TGW), and grain yield per plant (GYPP) under Zn treatments. Akbar-19 (G3) and SD-75 (G9) were the top-performing genotypes under T3, with GYPP increasing up to 98.43 g plant⁻¹ and TGW reaching 33.27 g. Grain Zn content also surged under T2 and T3, with peak values of 519.76 ppm and 776.58 ppm, respectively, compared to control. Principal component analysis revealed that the first three components PC1 (25.5%), PC2 (17.9%), and PC3 (15.4%) explained 58.8% of the total variance, with PC1 driven mainly by yield-related traits. Correlation analysis revealed strong positive associations between GYPP and TGW (r = 0.82), spike weight (r = 0.78), and plant height (r = 0.74). These findings indicate that integrated soil and foliar Zn application can considerably enhance wheat yields and grain Zn content, especially in genotypes Akbar-19 and SD-75, offering a sustainable approach to mitigating Zn deficiency in human diets.