Agronomic bio-fortification in wheat through zinc and iron nutrition: A review

Abstract

Increasing Zn and Fe concentration in food crops is an important worldwide challenge due to high incidence of Zn and Fe deficiency in human. Foliar fertilization of micronutrients is one of the most important methods of fertilizer application in agriculture practices in order to increase Zn and Fe concentration in grain because foliar nutrients help easy and quick consumption of nutrients by penetrating the stomata or leaf cuticle and enter the cells. Foliar application of Zn and Fe, either single or along with other micronutrients can help achieve favorable results on growth parameters, yield components and yield quality of wheat crop. It is evident that foliar and soil application of Zn and Fe alone or in association with other micronutrients to wheat grown on Zn and Fe deficient soils enhance plant growth, yield quantity and quality, yield components and grain Zn and Fe concentration. The available literature on biofortification of wheat with Zn and Fe through foliar and soil application of Zn and Fe fertilizers on the growth parameters, yield components yield quantity and quality of wheat are reviewed and presented below.