Paper Title
Biofortification in Rice Grains VIS-A-VIS Zinc and Nitrogen Fertilization

Abstract
The study was undertaken to investigate the effect of increasing soil N supply, and method and timing of Zn application on concentrations and bioavailability of zinc in different rice grain fractions. Grain zinc concentration was greatly enhanced by increasing soil N supply when sufficient Zn was available to the plants through soil Zn application or foliar spray at milking stage. Increasing N supply progressively decreased grain phytate concentration and increased protein concentrationin rice grains. Foliar Zn application at milking stage significantly enhanced Zn concentration while that at panicle initiation stage produced non significant effect. Soil Zn application also significantly increased grain Zn concentration. Conclusively, a proper combination of N and Zn applications could prove to be a powerful tool for zinc biofortification in rice grains. Index Terms—bioavailability, biofortification, nitrogen, rice, zinc