THE ASSESSMENT OF SOIL AVAILABILITY AND WHEAT GRAIN STATUS OF MANAGNESE AND IRON IN CALCAREOUS SOILS AND IMPLICATION FOR HUMAN SAFETY IN IRAQI KURDISTAN

Manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) are the two vital micronutrients for plants and moreover essential nutritional health components in humans. Iron deficiency is common in humans and causes many health issues. In this survey, wheat grains of two major wheat cultivars were analyzed for their Mn and Fe concentrations beside the natural gradient of micronutrient availability across Sulaymaniyah province, Iraqi Kurdistan. However only 20% and 7.5% of the soils samples were Mn and Fe deficient or below recommended level. The considered micronutrient concentrations in the grains of wheat were in the acceptable range which are reported globally (range 41.3 and 37.6 mg kg-1 respectively). Furthermore, high application of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer in the studied calcareous soils could be strongly affected on the studied micronutrients concentration in the studied grain samples. The results indicate that adequate levels of Mn and Fe in the surveyed grains is a beneficial guide for quality of grains associated with human healthiness, where wheat grain bread is an essential food.