Abstract
To address food production challenges and combat heavy metal toxicity, an economically viable and sustainable approach is essential. Cadmium (Cd) contamination poses risks to crops and human health. Leveraging the structural similarity between zinc (Zn) and cadmium, we explored foliar Zn spray's potential to alleviate Cd toxicity and enhance wheat yield. Our field study near Peshawar, Pakistan, during the 2021–2022 winter, employed a split-plot design to investigate Zn's impact on wheat biofortification. Across three wheat varieties (JANBAZ-10, Pirsabak (PS)-2013, PS-2015), four foliar Zn levels (0 %, 0.5 %, 1.0 %, 1.5 % solution) were tested at various growth stages. Pirsabak-2015 exhibited optimal results, with a 1 % foliar Zn treatment producing the highest grain yield (3409 kg ha−1), biological yield (9022 kg ha−1), grains per spike (56), and 1000-grain weight (40.6 g). Application of 1 % biochar also significantly increased grain yield. Zn concentration peaked in grains and leaves with 1.5 % Zn solution, followed by 1.0 % Zn in the PS-2015 cultivar. Moreover, 1 % Zn application enhanced photosynthetic parameters and significantly reduced cadmium concentrations in leaves and grains. Notably, 1.0 % Zn led to improved stress tolerance as indicated by decreased electrolyte leakage and increased superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities. Applying 1.0 % Zn solution as a foliar spray during different growth stages demonstrates the potential to enhance wheat yield, increase grain Zn content, and mitigate Cd toxicity in Cd-contaminated soil. Further research across diverse cereal crops and climates will help establish 1.0 % Zn foliar spray as an effective Cd stress mitigation strategy.
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Claims 13
Claim · model-written summary
Pirsabak-2015 with 1% foliar zinc had the highest grain yield.
- Taxon
- wheat
Triticum aestivumt0 - Material
- Pirsabak-2015e0
- Treatment
- 1 % foliar Zn treatmente0
- Outcome
- grain yielde0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 3409 kg ha−1e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Pirsabak-2015 exhibited optimal results, with a 1 % foliar Zn treatment producing the highest grain yield (3409 kg ha−1)”
t0“wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Pirsabak-2015 with 1% foliar zinc had the highest biological yield.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Material
- Pirsabak-2015e0
- Treatment
- 1 % foliar Zn treatmente0
- Outcome
- biological yielde0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 9022 kg ha−1e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Pirsabak-2015 exhibited optimal results, with a 1 % foliar Zn treatment producing the highest grain yield (3409 kg ha−1), biological yield (9022 kg ha−1)”
t0“wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Pirsabak-2015 with 1% foliar zinc had 56 grains per spike.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Material
- Pirsabak-2015e0
- Treatment
- 1 % foliar Zn treatmente0
- Outcome
- grains per spikee0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 56e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Pirsabak-2015 exhibited optimal results, with a 1 % foliar Zn treatment producing the highest grain yield (3409 kg ha−1), biological yield (9022 kg ha−1), grains per spike (56)”
t0“wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Pirsabak-2015 with 1% foliar zinc had 40.6 g thousand grain weight.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Material
- Pirsabak-2015e0
- Treatment
- 1 % foliar Zn treatmente0
- Outcome
- 1000-grain weighte0
- Direction
- higheste0
- Value
- 40.6 ge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Pirsabak-2015 exhibited optimal results, with a 1 % foliar Zn treatment producing the highest grain yield (3409 kg ha−1), biological yield (9022 kg ha−1), grains per spike (56), and 1000-grain weight (40.6 g)”
t0“wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
One percent biochar significantly increased wheat grain yield.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- 1 % biochare0
- Outcome
- grain yielde0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Application of 1 % biochar also significantly increased grain yield”
t0“wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Grain zinc concentration peaked with 1.5% zinc solution.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Material
- PS-2015e0
- Organ / stage
- grainse0
- Treatment
- 1.5 % Zn solutione0
- Outcome
- Zn concentratione0
- Direction
- peakede0
- Comparator
- 1.0 % Zne0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Zn concentration peaked in grains and leaves with 1.5 % Zn solution, followed by 1.0 % Zn in the PS-2015 cultivar”
t0“wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf zinc concentration peaked with 1.5% zinc solution.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Material
- PS-2015e0
- Organ / stage
- leavese0
- Treatment
- 1.5 % Zn solutione0
- Outcome
- Zn concentratione0
- Direction
- peakede0
- Comparator
- 1.0 % Zne0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Zn concentration peaked in grains and leaves with 1.5 % Zn solution, followed by 1.0 % Zn in the PS-2015 cultivar”
t0“wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
One percent zinc enhanced photosynthetic parameters.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- 1 % Zn applicatione0
- Outcome
- photosynthetic parameterse0
- Direction
- enhancede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“1 % Zn application enhanced photosynthetic parameters”
t0“wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
One percent zinc reduced leaf cadmium concentrations.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Organ / stage
- leavese0
- Treatment
- 1 % Zn applicatione0
- Outcome
- cadmium concentrationse0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“1 % Zn application enhanced photosynthetic parameters and significantly reduced cadmium concentrations in leaves and grains”
t0“wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
One percent zinc reduced grain cadmium concentrations.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Organ / stage
- grainse0
- Treatment
- 1 % Zn applicatione0
- Outcome
- cadmium concentrationse0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“1 % Zn application enhanced photosynthetic parameters and significantly reduced cadmium concentrations in leaves and grains”
t0“wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
One percent zinc reduced electrolyte leakage.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- 1.0 % Zne0
- Outcome
- electrolyte leakagee0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“1.0 % Zn led to improved stress tolerance as indicated by decreased electrolyte leakage and increased superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities”
t0“wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
One percent zinc increased superoxide dismutase activity.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- 1.0 % Zne0
- Outcome
- superoxide dismutasee0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“1.0 % Zn led to improved stress tolerance as indicated by decreased electrolyte leakage and increased superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities”
t0“wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
One percent zinc increased peroxidase activity.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- 1.0 % Zne0
- Outcome
- peroxidase activitiese0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“1.0 % Zn led to improved stress tolerance as indicated by decreased electrolyte leakage and increased superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities”
t0“wheat”
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