Grain Zinc Biofortification and Productivity of Diverse Bread Wheat Genotypes

Zinc inadequacy affects two billion people worldwide and is more prevalent in developing countries. In Pakistan, the problem is particularly severe and above 40% of children under five are affected by stunting. This 2‐years study aimed to evaluate the potential of diverse bread wheat genotypes for productivity, grain zinc concentration, and bioavailability. 90 genotypes were evaluated under zinc‐deficient and sufficient conditions at Faisalabad–Pakistan using an alpha‐lattice design. Significant genetic variation was observed for yield‐related traits. Under zinc‐deficient conditions, grain yield ranged from 3.0 to 6.0 t ha ⁻¹ , which increased by 3.6% upon zinc application and ranged from 3.1 to 6.2 t ha ⁻¹ . Substantial variation was observed among genotypes for grain zinc, protein, bioavailable zinc, and phytate concentrations under both zinc‐deficient and zinc‐applied conditions. Zinc fertilization increased grain zinc by 33%, protein by 8.7%, and bioavailable zinc by 22%, while reducing phytate concentrations by 5%. Principal component analysis and correlation indicated positive associations between grain yield and yield traits. Cluster analysis identified cluster‐5 (genotypes 32, 55, 58, 70, 72, 74, 75, 87, and 88) as superior under zinc‐deficient conditions and cluster‐6 (genotypes 32, 58, 74, 75, 87, and 88) under zinc‐sufficient conditions, both characterized by higher productivity and improved bioavailable zinc. Meanwhile, genotypes 71, 78, 79, 81, 82, and 83 consistently maintained low phytate concentrations across both zinc environments. Overall, these genotypes provide a strong genetic foundation for breeding wheat cultivars with enhanced productivity, zinc bioavailability, and reduced phytate concentration.