Zinc (Zn) deficiency in wheat can occur in soils inherently low in Zn, in soils where Zn is unavailable to plants, and in soils where plant-available Zn has declined. The materials identified in this subset express a range of tolerant to zinc deficiency, as can be viewed in the Source file.

When soils are suspected of being severely Zn-deficient, durum wheat may be used as a susceptible indicator. Zinc efficient germplasm is tolerant to Zn deficiency, whereas Zn intolerant germplasm is suceptible to Zn deficient soils. Severe Zn deficiency in the field can result in stunted chlorotic plants with many collapsed leaves due to necrosis in the center of the leaves. Whole fields may be affected but, more generally, there are chlorotic patches within the crop.

Source: CIMMYT Wheat Germplasm Bank