Zinc biofortification of banana fruit

• Grant number: 16/24141-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2017
• End date: March 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Principal Investigator: Arthur Bernardes Cecílio Filho
• Grantee: Gustavo Walace Pacheco Leite
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Banana fruit contain approximately 0.1 mg.100 g-1 of zinc (Zn) which is far lower than what is found in red meat (6.3 mg.100 g-1). Therefore, due to the importance to provide food richer in Zn, the objective of project is to evaluate the supply of zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) to banana bunches aiming to biofortify its fruits and fulfill the Zn Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of 2 mg.dia-1 for children. For that an experiment will be set up according to a completely randomized design (CRD) in a factorial design 2 (two cultivars - Prata and Cavendish) x 4 (three doses of ZnSO4 and the control) with three repetitions, totaling 24 parcels. Thus, at the moment of the removal of the male flowers from 'Prata Anã' and 'Willians' banana cultivars a plastic bag will be set on the stem containing ZnSO4 solutions: 0 - control; 0.5 g.L-1; 1.0 g.L-1, and 2.0 g.L-1. Fruit will be evaluated when physiologically mature to determine Zn content and quality parameters: colour, moisture, dry matter, titratable acidity, pH, soluble solids and ascorbic acid. (AU)