?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_id=doi%3A10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0160729&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.relation=https%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2Fid%2Feprint%2F30776%2F&rft.title=Organic+Wheat+Farming+Improves+Grain+Zinc+Concentration&rft.creator=Helfenstein%2C+Julian&rft.creator=M%C3%BCller%2C+Isabel&rft.creator=Gr%C3%BCter%2C+Roman&rft.creator=Bhullar%2C+Gurbir+S.&rft.creator=Mandloi%2C+Lokendra&rft.creator=Papritz%2C+Andreas&rft.creator=Siegrist%2C+Michael&rft.creator=Schulin%2C+Rainer&rft.subject=+Cereals%2C+pulses+and+oilseeds&rft.subject=India&rft.description=Zinc+(Zn)+nutrition+is+of+key+relevance+in+India%2C+as+a+large+fraction+of+the+population+suffers+from+Zn+malnutrition+and+many+soils+contain+little+plant+available+Zn.+In+this+study+we+compared+organic+and+conventional+wheat+cropping+systems+with+respect+to+DTPA+(diethylene+triamine+pentaacetic+acid)-extractable+Zn+as+a+proxy+for+plant+available+Zn%2C+yield%2C+and+grain+Zn+concentration.+We+analyzed+soil+and+wheat+grain+samples+from+30+organic+and+30+conventional+farms+in+Madhya+Pradesh+(central+India)%2C+and+conducted+farmer+interviews+to+elucidate+sociological+and+management+variables.+Total+and+DTPA-extractable+soil+Zn+concentrations+and+grain+yield+(3400+kg+ha-1)+did+not+differ+between+the+two+farming+systems%2C+but+with+32+and+28+mg+kg-1+respectively%2C+grain+Zn+concentrations+were+higher+on+organic+than+conventional+farms+(t+%3D+-2.2%2C+p+%3D+0.03).+Furthermore%2C+multiple+linear+regression+analyses+revealed+that+(a)+total+soil+zinc+and+sulfur+concentrations+were+the+best+predictors+of+DTPA-extractable+soil+Zn%2C+(b)+Olsen+phosphate+taken+as+a+proxy+for+available+soil+phosphorus%2C+exchangeable+soil+potassium%2C+harvest+date%2C+training+of+farmers+in+nutrient+management%2C+and+soil+silt+content+were+the+best+predictors+of+yield%2C+and+(c)+yield%2C+Olsen+phosphate%2C+grain+nitrogen%2C+farmyard+manure+availability%2C+and+the+type+of+cropping+system+were+the+best+predictors+of+grain+Zn+concentration.+Results+suggested+that+organic+wheat+contained+more+Zn+despite+same+yield+level+due+to+higher+nutrient+efficiency.+Higher+nutrient+efficiency+was+also+seen+in+organic+wheat+for+P%2C+N+and+S.+The+study+thus+suggests+that+appropriate+farm+management+can+lead+to+competitive+yield+and+improved+Zn+concentration+in+wheat+grains+on+organic+farms.&rft.date=2016&rft.type=Journal+paper&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.language=en&rft.identifier=%2Fid%2Feprint%2F30776%2F1%2Fhelfenstein-etal-2016-OrganicWheatFarming-PloSOne-11-8.pdf&rft.identifier=+++Helfenstein%2C+Julian%3B+M%C3%BCller%2C+Isabel%3B+Gr%C3%BCter%2C+Roman%3B+Bhullar%2C+Gurbir+S.%3B+Mandloi%2C+Lokendra%3B+Papritz%2C+Andreas%3B+Siegrist%2C+Michael+and+Schulin%2C+Rainer+++(2016)+Organic+Wheat+Farming+Improves+Grain+Zinc+Concentration.+++PLoS+ONE%2C+11+(8)%2C+pp.+1-20.++++++++&rft.relation=doi%3A10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0160729&rft.identifier=doi%3A10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0160729