Genotypic Differences in Concentration and Bioavailability of Kernel-Iron in Tropical Maize Varieties Grown Under Field Conditions

Authors

Sylvester O. Oikeh, Cornell UniversityFollow
Abebe Menkir, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
Bussie Maziya-Dixon, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
Ross Welch, Cornell University
Raymond P. Glahn, Cornell UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2003

Comments

Published in JOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION, Vol. 26, Nos. 10 & 11, pp. 2307–2319, 2003. DOI: 10.1081/PLN-120024283

Abstract

Iron deficiency is estimated to affect over one-half the world population. Improving the nutritional quality of staple food crops through breeding for high bioavailable iron represents a sustainable and cost effective approach to alleviating iron malnutrition. Forty-nine late maturing tropical elite maize varieties were grown in a lattice design with two replications in three locations representing three agroecologies in West and Central Africa to identify varieties with high levels of kernel-Fe. Bioavailable iron was assessed for some varieties selected for high Fe concentration in kernel and improved agronomic traits using an in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell model. Significant differences in kernel-Fe and -zinc concentration were observed among varieties (P-1, while kernel-Zn levels ranged from 16.5 to 24.6 mg kg^-1. Environment did not have a significant effect on kerneliron and -zinc levels, but genotype by environment (G ×E) interaction was highly significant. The genetic component accounted for 12% of the total variation in kernel-Fe and 29% for kernel-Zn levels. Kernel-Fe was positively correlated with kernel-Zn (R²=0.51, P