Micronutrient Status of Winter Wheat in Poland

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the scale of the deficiency of the six basic micronutrients: B, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo and Zn in the fields of wheat grown in Poland. In the years of 2010 – 2011, 357 samples of winter wheat crops were collected from fields located in the averagely intensive farms in 16 provinces of Poland. Plants were collected in the beginning of stem elongation/first node stage (whole aboveground part), and then the contents of individual micronutrients were determined and evaluated on the basis of critical values developed for cereals by Schnug and Haneklaus. It has been shown that the wheat cultivated in Poland is characterized by low Zn (38% of the samples), and Mn (29%) contents, followed by Cu (21%) and B (18%). Almost no deficiencies of Mo (3%), and only few of Fe (11%) were observed in the collected samples. Regional differences in terms of occurrence of deficiencies of the analyzed elements were also quite significant.

Keywords

• beginning of stem elongation
• microelements
• nutritional status
• triticum aestivum