Mineral Biofortification In Crop Plants For Ensuring Food Security

This book provides a comprehensive summary of the recent advances in the biofortification of plants under climate change and how it affects food security globally. The need for mineral biofortification to eradicate or alleviate malnutrition through sustainable agriculture is also discussed. Biofortification of edible plants is considered the most appropriate approach to alleviate nutritional problems and nutrient deficiencies. In contrast, biofortification focuses on improving the nutritional content of the region's current agricultural biodiversity while preserving its habits and customs. Emphasis is also placed on recent advances and developments in omics, particularly metabolomics and related techniques, to unravel the potential alterations in plants caused by biofortification. The book brings together eminent scientists to present the latest developments in the field. This timely publication addresses practical scenarios of bio-fortified food production and climate change. The book focuses on the methods, techniques, and environmental changes used to enhance and improve agricultural products. This book is one of the first to provide information on the use of modern biotechnologies to modify crops for health benefits. It also examines the mechanisms of the plant responses to genetically induced biofortification, the production and responses of fortified plants under climate change, and their effects on food security. The book will be useful for students and researchers, especially crop scientists, environmental scientists, biotechnologists, botanists, and agronomists, to understand the techniques and mechanisms of biofortification, and responses of biofortified plants under climate change.

This edited book brings together comprehensive information on various aspects of the biofortification of staple crops. It addresses the present status of food and nutritional security and highlights the importance of micronutrients in human health, a historical account of biofortification, current approaches and challenges, crop-specific biofortification efforts and various breeding approaches, including conventional, and genomics enabled improvement. It also explains the efficacy of biofortification, bioavailability, and future thrust. It is an inclusive source of information on different aspects of micronutrients in crops of global importance. Malnutrition is a serious global issue, with millions of people being undernourished, several suffering from micronutrient deficiencies, and the adult population struggling with obesity. Despite significant economic progress, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa are still home to an undernourished population. Nutrition-related health problems are related to hidden hunger and are widespread in the developing world. Women and preschool children are more vulnerable. Even though global food production has increased manifolds, estimates indicate that over 60% of the world’s population is deficient in essential micronutrients such as iron, zinc, iodine, and selenium, often causing health problems and developmental delays. Linking agricultural production with human nutrition and health is crucial for ensuring nutrition security. Much research has been carried out to assess genetic diversity related to micro-nutrients in staple crops, their bioavailability, and the efficacy of biofortified germplasm. Biofortified varieties developed in different crops through conventional breeding are being up-scaled for reducing the micronutrient deficiencies in other countries. This book is a ready reference for researchers, academicians, extension personnel, policymakers, students, and value chain stakeholders engaged in agriculture, nutrition, and health sectors promoting nutrition-sensitive diets.

Biofortification of Grain and Vegetable Crops: Molecular and Breeding Approaches is a comprehensive overview of important food crops whose vitamin and mineral enhancement can contribute significantly to improved food and nutrition security. Providing the latest information on crops including cereals, oilseeds, legumes and vegetables, this book provides details of agronomic and molecular resources for enhanced mineral production. Each chapter focuses on a specific food crop and the unique opportunities offered by each through breeding practices. This will be a valuable resource for researchers, academics and those in industry who are exploring biotechnological approaches as a powerful tool to combat malnutrition. Presents the potential of a variety of food crops for increased bioavailability of micronutrients Enhances our understanding of agronomic and molecular mechanisms of biofortification Provides insights to mitigate hidden hunger

Two billion people worldwide, mainly in developing countries, where diets are based on the consumption of staple crops, suffer from mineral deficiencies, particularly for iron and zinc. Mineral biofortification includes different strategies aimed to increase mineral concentration and to improve mineral availability from the diet (mineral bioavailability) in the edible parts of plants, particularly the seeds. Phytic acid is a compound that strongly reduces mineral bioavailability as, being highly negatively charged, it strongly binds cations, acting as a magnet. All the contributions in this book aim to describe new results, review the literature, and comment on some of the economic and sociological aspects concerning mineral biofortification research. A number of contributions are related to the study of mineral transport, seed accumulation, and approaches to increase seed micronutrient concentration. The remaining ones are mainly focused on the study of low phytic acid mutants.

With the ever-increasing global population, the challenge of sustainably meeting the escalating demand for food is more critical than ever. This pressing issue necessitates the optimization of plant mineral nutrition, which is pivotal for enhancing agricultural productivity, improving resource efficiency, and fostering environmental stewardship. In this Reprint, we bring together key insights from a Special Issue of Agronomy, underscoring the crucial role that mineral elements play in crop growth and production. The collection emphasizes innovative management strategies aimed at harmonizing the supply of mineral elements with crop requirements. The cornerstone of sustainable agriculture rests on three pillars: enhancing nutrient acquisition, tailoring nutrient application to specific needs, and adopting an integrated plant-soil perspective. Such strategies are indispensable for capitalizing on mineral nutrition to advance sustainable agricultural practices, thereby ensuring food security and promoting environmental sustainability. The individual papers in this Reprint offer reports on the latest research advancements or comprehensive reviews of existing knowledge. Drawing from a diverse range of disciplines, these articles together aim to deepen our understanding of the importance of mineral elements in crop growth and production.

Ultimate success in exploiting the genetic capabilities of plants to grow in nutrient-stressed environments of the semi-arid tropics (SAT) requires a holistic view of food systems to ensure that genetic selections for improved yields on nutrient-poor soils will actually be adopted by farmers. This book sets out to address the important issue of how physiological mechanisms of nutrient uptake can best be combined with genetic options to improve the adaptation of crops to low-nutrient availability, thereby enhancing productivity of nutrient poor soils in the semi-arid tropics. The book examines (i) the sustainability of breeding for low-nutrient environments from the viewpoint of three interrelated disciplines; physiology, breeding, and socio-economics, (ii) candidate mechanisms and physiological traits to enhance uptake and utilization efficiencies, (iii) genetic approaches for manipulation of crop plants to enhance root exudation and access nutrients in the rhizosphere, and (iv) field practices and farmers' preferences for crop varieties grown in low-nutrient environments. Finally, the role of modelling in improving nutrient efficiency in cropping systems, recommendations for future research needs and strategies were highlighted. Attended by 50 international participants, this book is the outcome of the workshop held at ICRISAT-India during 27-30 September 1999 to mark the culmination of the Government of Japan/ICRISAT Project.