Zinc indexing in wheat grains and associated soils of southern Punjab. | Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Sciences 2015

Muhammad A. Maqsood Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan;Department of Soil Science, University of Saskatchewan, S7N 5A8, SK, Canada

Shahid Hussain Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan;Department of soil science, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan

Tariq Aziz Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan; School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia

Munir Ahmad Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan;Department of Soil Sciences, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Muhammad A. Naeem Institute of Soil and Environmental Science, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

Hammad R. Ahmad Institute of Soil and Environmental Science, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

Shamsa Kanwal Institute of Soil and Environmental Science, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

Makhdoom Hussain Wheat Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI), Faisalabad, Pakistan

Higher grain Zn concentration is desirable to combat human Zn deficiency. A total of 58 farmers’ fields were surveyed from districts of Multan and Lodhran to represent cotton-wheat rotation zone of Punjab. Soils were sampled separately from the surface (0–15 cm depth) and subsurface (15–30 cm depth) layers. Within 5 m2 of soil sample, about 100 spikes from mature tillers of wheat were also collected. Nearly all subsurface and 76% of the collected surface soil samples were deficient in plant available Zn resulting in grain Zn concentration of 20 µg g −1 , on average. The inherent capacity of subsurface soil layer to supply Zn positively correlated with grain Zn concentration (r=0. 33, n=58; P=0. 01). Organic matter content (r=0. 32, n=58; P=0. 02) in subsurface layer and soil salinity (ECe) of both layers (r=−0. 53, n=58; P