Seed quality and nutritional composition of conventional and zinc biofortified wheat under hermetic and conventional storage techniques

Biofortified varieties of wheat have emerged as potential zinc carriers. There is a dire need to study their storage shelf life in terms of nutritional quality and physiological seed quality. Biofortified and non-biofortified wheat varieties were stored in hermetic bags, woven polypropylene bags (PP bags) and metal silos at four different locations. After 12 months, germination of Nawab-21 drastically reduced in metal silos and PP bags compared to hermetic bags at Khanewal-II. Minor variations of crude protein and minerals (zinc and iron) contents were recorded in hermetic bags. However, significant reduction in nutritional quality was observed in the seeds stored in PP bags and metal silos across all locations. Maximum total soluble sugars were observed in seed stored in hermetic bags. Minimum reducing sugars, malondialdehyde (MDA) contents and aflatoxins contamination was observed in hermetic bags. Around 30% weight losses and 66% grains damaged from stored grain pests were recorded in metal silos and PP bags. Whereas, hermetic bags had less than 1% weight losses. Overall, Nawab-21 wheat variety showed higher losses in seed and nutritional quality under conventional storage techniques. Hermetic storage is an effective technique to reduce storage, seed and nutritional quality losses in both biofortified and non-biofortified wheat.