@conference{
author = "Bosnić, Predrag and Savic, Jasna and Kostić, Ljiljana and Stevic, Nenad and Pavlović, Jelena and Lazic, Marina and Marjanovic Jeromela, Ana and Hristov, Nikola and Nikolić, Nina and Nikolic, Miroslav",
year = "2013",
abstract = "Zinc (Zn) is an essential microelement for plants and also an important nutritional and health factor in humans. As a consequence of low Zn availability in soils, nearly half of the world's population suffers from Zn malnutrition. Zn deficiency has serious implications for human health (e.g. impairments in physical development, immune system, brain function and learning ability) and thus for the overall economy of a country; it is most severe in nations who depend on cereals as the main staple food. A critical Zn concentration in the whole grain for humans that depend on cereal based diets is 24 mg kg-1 dry matter. Research focused on increase of Zn content in cereals (biofortification), is the strategic priority in many countries. In Serbia however, the awareness of this problem is lacking, and no systematic survey of Zn availability in soi ls and concentrations
in cereal grains has been undertaken so far.
Our study included 156 grain samples of the two major bread wheat varieties (Simonida and NS 40S) collected at 89 localities throughout Serbia. We analyzed soil pH, available Zn and grain Zn concentration together by principle component analysis and multiple linear regression. Wheat varieties did not differ in ability to accumulate Zn in grains. Both soil pH and available Zn concentration were the nominally significant predictors for grain Zn concentration and explained about 12 and 9% of the encountered variation, respectively. Zn concentration below the critical limit (24 mg kg-1) was found in 58% of grain samples (values in the range 11-61 mg kg-1, median only 21.3 mg kg-1), while in only 14% of soil samples the available Zn was below the critical value (05 mg kg-1).
The most severe lack of Zn in grains (below 18 mg kg-1) was observed in samples from the major production regions of bread wheat (e.g. Pancevo, Vrbas and Sremska Mitrovica). The alarming results of this survey indicate that Serbia urgently needs a strategy for Zn biofortification, primarily through a breeding program to enhance Zn efficiency as a sustainable alternative to application of Zn fertilizers.",
publisher = "Serbian Plant Physiology Society; Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, University of Belgrade; Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade",
journal = "1st International Conference on Plant Biology - Programme and Abstracts, June 4-7, 2013, Subotica, Serbia",
title = "Zn concentrations in wheat grains along the gradient of native Zn soil availability in Serbia",
url = "https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_rimsi_2504"
}
