Improving Zn bioavailability in lentil through fertilization

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Canada is the largest producer and exporter of lentil (Lens culinaris) in the world, and Saskatchewan is the leading lentil producing province. A large market for Canadian lentil exports exists in developing countries where zinc (Zn) deficiencies are a leading cause of human health problems due to heavy reliance on nutrient deficient cereals and grain legumes in the daily diet. Not all of the Zn in grain is available to humans, due to binding of anti-nutrients like phytate to Zn to form insoluble complexes that cannot be absorbed by the human body. Fertilization of pulse crops like lentil with Zn can increase the yield and concentration of Zn in the grain and potentially improve the human nutritional qualities of the grain, and increase the market demand for Canadian lentils. However, the extent to which this increases "bioavailable" Zn is unknown. As phosphorus is a major component of the phytate anti-nutrient, both zinc and phosphorus fertilization may affect the quality of lentil as a biofortified source of Zn in human nutrition. The phytate to zinc molar ratio has been used to categorize the zinc bioavailability in food, and models have been developed to predict Zn absorption. Estimation of Zn in lentils, its bioavailabity and relationship to crop and soil management factors such as lentil class, Zn fertilization practices, and other nutrients such as phosphorus are proposed to be investigated in a range of Saskatchewan soils. Specifically, the proposed research examines the effect of soil and foliar applied Zn fertilizers on zinc concentration and phytate content of three different classes of lentil. A trivariate model of Zn absorption will be used to estimate Zn bioavailability in the lentil grain. Re-mobilization and distribution of Zn with the lentil plant as a function of lentil class type, and Zn fertilization practice will also be evaluated.