Potential of advanced breeding lines of bread-making wheat to accumulate grain minerals (Ca, Fe, Mg and Zn) and low phytates under Mediterranean conditions

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jac.12325

About 3 billion people may suffer from micronutrient deficiency such as Ca, Fe, Mg or Zn, caused not only by a mineral deficiency in staple food but also by a high content of phytates which bind those minerals and inhibit their absorption. With the aim of evaluating the potential of new cultivars of bread-making wheat to accumulate those minerals and low phytates, nine advanced breeding lines from an ongoing Portuguese breeding program were studied during 2 years in a field experiment. A wide genetic variability was found between the studied genotypes in all the parameters studied, especially grain yield (ranging on average between 2,027 and 3,209 kg/ha) and grain Mg and Zn concentrations (ranging on average between 1,070 and 1,336 mg/kg, and 23.4 and 30.7 mg/kg, respectively). In global terms, the cultivars with best performance, and therefore, the most potentially suitable to be used in a breeding program, were the Cultivars 3 and 4. However, such a potential varied depending on the analysed trait, and it was clearly influenced by the climatic conditions. The consumption of 100 g of Cultivar-4 produced under the most favourable conditions might provide a 5.2% of Ca, 26.4% of Fe, 38.9% of Mg and 31.9% of Zn of the recommended daily intakes, with a very good bioavailability for Fe and Ca, but low for Mg and Zn.