•Spraying 0.4% ZnSO4 caused fertilizer burns on all-age leaves and unbagged fruitlets.•ZnEDTA can be safely used at a higher spraying rate of 1.5%.•1.5% ZnEDTA is an effective approach to produce high-level Zn-fortified pears.•Contents of other mineral elements in zinc-fortified pear were not reduced. The increases in the Zn-biofortification level are currently limited to the spraying rates, as the widely-used ZnSO4 fertilizer applications at high spraying rates cause leaf and fruitlet burn, along with yield losses. To address this, in our investigation, the effects of inorganic Zn sources and chelated Zn sources at normal to excess concentrations on foliage health, photosynthetic performance, yield, and mineral concentration changes in pear fruits were compared to establish how to maximize the Zn concentration without fertilizer burn. The 2020 field results showed that the chelated Zn sources (ZnEDTA, ZnGly and ZnGlc) caused less foliar burn than inorganic Zn sources (ZnNO3 and ZnSO4). The safety threshold concentration of ZnEDTA was 1.5%, which was substantially higher than that of the other sources (0.4%). The results of the nationwide broad-spectrum tests on eight pear cultivars at three locations in 2021 confirmed that spraying 1.5% ZnEDTA is an effective approach to produce high-level Zn-fortified pears, without compromising agronomic performance. Our study not only provides new insights into chelated fertilizers but will also help to promote producing of Zn-fortified pears. The model diagram of spraying ZnEDTA and ZnSO4 on Zn biofortification, leaf burn, and yield losses. Display omitted