PHYTIC ACID AND PHOSPHORUS CONCENTRATIONS IN SEEDS OF WHEAT CULTIVARS GROWN WITH AND WITHOUT ZINC FERTILIZATION*

Abstract

Seeds of twenty wheat cultivars grown with (+Zn = 23 kg Zn ha−1) and without zinc (Zn) fertilization in a Zn-deficient calcareous soil in Central Anatolia were analyzed for the levels of Zn, phosphorus (P), phytic acid, and phytase activity. Additionally, seeds of four wheat cultivars grown on 55 different locations in Turkey were also analyzed for Zn, P, and phytic acid. In the field experiment with 20 wheat cultivars, seed Zn concentrations showed a range between 7 to 11 mg kg−1 under Zn-deficient and 14 to 23 mg kg−1 under Zn-added conditions. Zinc fertilization reduced seed concentrations of P and phytic acid of all cultivars. On average, the reductions caused by Zn fertilization were from 3.9 to 3.5 mg g−1 for P and from 10.7 to 9.1 mg g−1 for phytic acid. Irrespective of Zn fertilization, seed phytic acid concentrations showed a large genotypic variation, i.e., from 7 to 12 mg g−1 with Zn fertilization and 8 to 13 mg g−1 at nil Zn treatment. As a result of decreases in phytic acid and increases in Z...