The effect of zinc-fortified seed on improving wheat yield and quality

摘要

An experiment was carried out at Tehran University's field and greenhouse facilities during 1998-1999 and at Karaj Soil and Water Research Institute facilities during 1999-2001 to study the effect of fortification of wheat seeds with zinc on the yieldand quality of the resulting wheat crop grown on zinc-deficient soils. The objective of the experiment was to compare the yield and quality of wheat crops resulting from seeds obtained from zinc-fertilized plots with those resulting from farmers conventionally produced seeds. A completely randomized factorial block experiment using two different seeds, four levels of zinc fertilizer and three replications was carried out. In field plots, normal and fortified Mahdavi variety wheat seeds were used on twodifferent soils having different levels of available zinc (during 1999-2001 growing seasons). The results of the field and greenhouse experiments showed that seed fortification with zinc significantly increased the seed yield, total yield; weight of a thousand seeds, the seeds protein content; absorption and the concentration of zinc in seeds, bran and flour. It became evident, therefore, that fortified seeds, especially grown in fertile soils, play an important part in improving the wheat yield, as seen by comparing the results from the control seeds and zinc-fortified seeds. This observation emphasizes the superiority of the fortified seeds in zinc-deficient calcareous soils.