Abstract
Breeding for higher concentrations of minerals in food crops is one option for improving the health of humans suffering from the consequences of mineral deficiency. The plant breeding approach requires that varietal differences are stable across different environmental conditions. The main objective of our research was, therefore, to determine whether differences in the concentration of grain minerals (P, K, Mg, Ca, Mn, Zn, and Cu) among tropical maize varieties are affected by the level of water and N supply. A 3‐yr study with two water regimes (preanthesis drought vs. irrigation throughout the vegetation cycle), three levels of N fertilization (0, 80, 160 kg N ha −1 , applied as ammonium sulfate), and four varieties (Suwan 1, La Posta Sequia, KTX2602, DK888) was conducted in the tropical lowlands of Thailand. The water regime did not affect the mineral composition of the grains. Application of N fertilizer reduced the concentrations of Ca and Zn, and increased the concentration of Mn in the grains. The top yielder, DK888, had the lowest concentrations of N, P, Mg, and Cu in the grain. The varietal differences in the concentrations of grain N and minerals were fairly stable across the levels of N and preanthesis water supply. The varieties that differed most in the grain N and P concentrations (DK888 and KTX2602) had almost the same endosperm/germ dry weight ratio. It remains to be determined whether breeding for high grain yield inevitably lowers the concentrations of grain minerals and protein.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
The water regime (pre-anthesis drought versus irrigation) did not affect grain mineral composition of maize.
- Treatment
- preanthesis droughte0
- Outcome
- mineral composition of the grainse1
- Comparator
- irrigation throughout the vegetation cyclee0
Zea maysNot reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Tropical Maize Varieties”
e0“two water regimes (preanthesis drought vs. irrigation throughout the vegetation cycle)”
e1“The water regime did not affect the mineral composition of the grains”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen fertilizer reduced grain Ca and Zn concentrations in maize.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Tropical Maize Varieties”
e2“Application of N fertilizer reduced the concentrations of Ca and Zn, and increased the concentration of Mn in the grains”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen fertilizer increased grain Mn concentration in maize.
- Treatment
- Application of N fertilizere2
- Outcome
- concentration of Mn in the grainse2
- Direction
- increasede2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Tropical Maize Varieties”
e2“Application of N fertilizer reduced the concentrations of Ca and Zn, and increased the concentration of Mn in the grains”
Claim · model-written summary
The top-yielding variety DK888 had the lowest grain N, P and Mg concentrations.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Tropical Maize Varieties”
e3“The top yielder, DK888, had the lowest concentrations of N, P, Mg, and Cu in the grain”
Claim · model-written summary
DK888 was the top yielder among the varieties.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Tropical Maize Varieties”
e3“The top yielder, DK888, had the lowest concentrations of N, P, Mg, and Cu in the grain”
Claim · model-written summary
DK888 had the lowest grain Cu concentration among the varieties.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Tropical Maize Varieties”
e3“The top yielder, DK888, had the lowest concentrations of N, P, Mg, and Cu in the grain”
Claim · model-written summary
Varietal differences in grain N and mineral concentrations were fairly stable across nitrogen levels and pre-anthesis water supply.
- Outcome
- varietal differences in the concentrations of grain N and mineralse4
- Qualifier
- across the levels of N and preanthesis water supplye4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Tropical Maize Varieties”
e4“The varietal differences in the concentrations of grain N and minerals were fairly stable across the levels of N and preanthesis water supply”
Claim · model-written summary
The varieties DK888 and KTX2602 differed most in grain N and P concentrations.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Tropical Maize Varieties”
e5“The varieties that differed most in the grain N and P concentrations (DK888 and KTX2602) had almost the same endosperm/germ dry weight ratio”
Claim · model-written summary
DK888 and KTX2602 had almost the same endosperm/germ dry weight ratio.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Tropical Maize Varieties”
e5“The varieties that differed most in the grain N and P concentrations (DK888 and KTX2602) had almost the same endosperm/germ dry weight ratio”
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