Simultaneous biofortification of Zn and Fe in Triticum aestivum L. cv Nabão under field conditions

Triticum aestivum L. (cv Nabão) seeds that were sown in the experiment were obtained in a previous study and are biofortified with zinc and iron. The seeds that were sown are desig-nated by 2Ts, which contain 9.9 and 3.9 fold more zinc and iron, respectively, than original seed (non-biofortified, farmer seed) and 2T5s, which contain about 8.9 and 5.0 fold more zinc and iron, respectively, than original seed. The experiment was conducted in field condi-tions between November 2011 (sowing) and July 2012 (harvesting) and bread wheat plants were irrigated weekly only with water or with a nutritional solution with several macro and micronutrients (including zinc and iron). Four different treatments were compared: (i) origi-nal seeds (0Ts) irrigated only with water; (ii) original seeds (0Ts) irrigated with nutritional solution; (iii) biofortified seeds 2Ts irrigated with nutritional solution and (iv) biofortified seeds 2T5s irrigated with nutritional solution. In the new generation grains (1Ts, 3Ts and 3T5s), it was found that 1Ts (0Ts seeds grown with biofortified solution), 3Ts and 3T5s grains contained respectively, 2.5, 4.5 and 5 fold more zinc than the original seed (non-biofortified, farmer seed). Relatively to iron, grain content increased 1.4, 1.5 and 1.2 times in 1Ts, 3Ts and 3T5s, respectively, compared with original seeds. The protein content augmented about 1.3 in all the treatments. Several data are still being discussed, but the first results show, that at a nutritional level, the grains that were previously biofortified accumulate more nu-trients, when fertilized, than the original seeds.