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CROP ECOLOGY, MANAGEMENT & QUALITY

Mineral Composition of the Grains of Tropical Maize Varieties as Affected by Pre-Anthesis Drought and Rate of Nitrogen Fertilization

^a Inst. of Plant Sciences, ETHZ, Universitätstr. 2, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
^b National Corn and Sorghum Res. Center (Farm Suwan), Kasetsart Univ., 298 Moo 1, Klandong, Pakchong, Nakhon Ratchasima 30320, Thailand

^* Corresponding author (boy.feil{at}ipw.agrl.ethz.ch)

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.