IIncreasing
i th
the supply
l off sulphur
l h
increases the g
grain zinc
concentration in bread and durum
wheat
Moshan Moussavi Nik1, Glenn McDonald2
1 Dept
of Agronomy
University of Birjan, IR Iran
2 School of Agriculture,
Agriculture Food and Wine
Waite Campus, University of Adelaide
Correlations with grain Zn concentration
among bread wheat varieties
Year 1
-Zn
Zn
+Zn
Zn
Year 2
-Zn
Zn
+Zn
Zn
Year 3
-Zn
Zn
+Zn
Zn
Year 4
-Zn
Zn
+Zn
Zn
Grain yield
(t/ha)
0.97
1.21
2.94
3.31
2.17
2.39
2.91
2.97
Grain Zn
(mg/kg)
11.0
22.8
10.3
25.3
11.8
16.2
9.9
29.4
Grain yield
-0.32
-0.53***
0.01
-0.57*** 0.48**
0.14
-0.11
-0.16
Kwt
n.d
n.d.
0.23
-0.08
0.08
0.11
-0.04
0.04
-0.14
0.14
-0.15
0.15
Fe
0.55***
0.65***
0.37*
0.18
0.20
0.32
-0.15
0.40**
Cu
0.22
0.45**
0.20
0.05
-0.10
0.19
-0.12
0.29
Mn
0.41**
0.39*
0.03
0.12
-0.08
0.05
-0.17
0.18
K
0.04
-0.12
-0.01
-0.07
0.03
0.06
0.09
-0.19
P
0 64***
0.64***
0 63***
0.63***
0 51*** 0.49**
0.51***
0 49**
0 05
0.05
0 32
0.32
0 28
0.28
0 37*
0.37*
S
0.54***
0.73***
0.35*
0.05
0.27
0.25
0.67***
0.42**
Responses
p
to S fertiliser in India
Crop
No.
studies
t di
Response to S (%)
Mean
Range
Wheat
32
25
5-110
Rice
27
17
1-40
Maize
3
41
17 60
17-60
Peanut
23
32
8-107
Khurana et al. (2008)
Hypotheses
• Hypothesis 1: Increasing the supply of S
will improve the uptake and transport of Zn
g
to the grain.
• Hypothesis 2: The beneficial effect of S
greater at a higher
g
concentration of
will be g
applied Zn.
• Hypothesis
yp
3: The beneficial effects of S
will be observed more strongly in a Zninefficient genotype.
Treatments
• Varieties
– Bread wheat cv Yitpi (Zn efficient)
– Durum wheat cv Yallaroi (Zn inefficient)
• Zn treatments
– 2.5, 5.0 mg Zn/kg
/ soil
• S treatments
– 15, 35, 55 mg S/kg soil
NS
1.6
1.4
1.2
1
0.8
06
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
Shoot biomass (g/plant)
Shoot biomass (g/plant)
Biomass at 28 days
15
35
55
Sulphur applied (mg S/kg)
NS
1.6
1.4
1.2
1
0.8
06
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
2.5
5
Zinc applied (mg Zn/kg)
Shoo
ot Zn con
nc. (mg/k
kg)
Effect of S on shoot Zn
concentration
i 28 d
days after
f sowing
i
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2.5 mg Zn/kg
5.0 mg Zn/kg
15
35
55
Sulphur applied (mg S/kg)
Lea
af greenness
s (SPAD un
nits)
Lea
af greenness
s (SPAD un
nits)
S and Zn effects on leaf senescence
60
50
40
30
15 mgS/kg
35 mg S/kg
55 mgS/kg
20
10
0
60
50
40
30
20
10
2.5 mgZn/kg
5.0 mg Zn/kg
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Time (days)
Time (days)
Chlorophyll retention
Chlorophyll retention
S applied (mg/kg)
SPAD.days
Zn applied (mg/kg)
SPAD.days
15
2700
25
2.5
2990
35
2940
5.0
2780
55
3010
Zn and S effects at maturity
• Sulphur: no significant effect on:
– biomass & grain yield
– kernel weight
– harvest Index
• Zinc: no significant effect on:
– biomass & grain yield
– kernel weight
g
– harvest index
• No Sulphur x Zinc interactions
Effects of S on grain Zn
concentration
i
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
2.5 mg Zn/kg
5.0 mg Zn/kg
15
35
55
S l h applied
Sulphur
li d ((mg S/k
S/kg))
Durum wheat
Grain Zn conc. (mg/kg)
Graiin Zn conc. (mg/kg)
Bread wheat
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
2.5 mg Zn/kg
5.0 mg Zn/kg
15
35
55
Sulphur applied (mg S/kg)
-1
Grain Zn conce
entration (mg kg )
Increased shoot Zn increased
grain
i Z
Zn
50
Bread
40
D
Durum
30
20
r = 0.917***
10
0
0
20
40
60
80
-1
Shoot Zn concentration (mg kg )
Relationships between grain Zn, Fe
and
dS
40
--1
Grain
n Fe concentrration (mg kg )
--1
Grain
n Zn concentrration (mg kg
g)
● ● 2.5 mg/kg Zn
○ ○ 5.0 mg/kg Zn
Durum: r = 0.433
30
Bread: r = 0.810*
20
10
1000
1200
1400
1600
g kg
g-1)
Grain S concentration ((mg
1800
40
Durum: r = 0.925**
30
Bread: r = 0.955***
20
10
1000
1200
1400
1600
Grain S concentration (mg kg-1 )
1800
Grain S:Zn ratios in bread wheat
Location
Grain Zn
Grain S
S:Zn
This expt
22.0-38.7
1180-1690
35-60
S. Australia
20.0
1700
85
Schultz & French (1976)
S. Australia
16.0
1800
113
Schultz & French (1978)
S Australia
S.
20 1
20.1
1597
79
Lui et al (2000)
S. Australia
16.4
2008
122
McDonald (2006)
S. Australia
16.0-29.0
1500-1900
57-94 Unpub. breeding trails (1998-2000)
Australia
19.0-29.5
1520-1840
63-83
USA
16.0-21.6
1190-1570
74-84
C
Canada
d
29 1
29.1
1840
63
UK
18.4
1370
74
UK
28.6
1700
59
22.2-30.3
1770-1860
Mexico
Reference
Batten ((1994))
(
)
McGrath (1985)
58-83 Calderini & Ortiz-Monasterio (2003)
Conclusions
• Adding
g S increased shoot Zn and g
grain Zn and Fe
concentrations in plants that were not Zn or S
deficient.
• There was no evidence that the response was
related to the Zn efficiency of the variety
• Possible reasons
– Increase in S amino acids
– Increase in protein
• Emphasises the importance of balanced nutrition
• Further work over wider range of soils & S levels
is required