Fortifying crops with micronutrients for sustainable global nutritional security

Gautam, A and Sharma, V and Chauhan, C and Thakur, A and Pandey, M K and Priscilla, K and Dagar, R and Jin, X and Sukla, P and Kumar, Anirudh and Kumar, Rakesh (2025) Fortifying crops with micronutrients for sustainable global nutritional security. Agronomy Journal (TSI), 117 (3). pp. 1-32. ISSN 0002-1962

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Abstract

The adverse effects of climate change on crop productivity and nutritional content have raised concerns toward food and nutritional security. These challenges can be mitigated by developing climate-resilient and biofortified crop varieties. A biofortification strategy focused on developing cultivars enriched in essential micronutrients is one of the most promising and effective approaches to addressing nutrient deficiencies in the context of a changing climate. Current efforts by scientists around the globe are aimed at bio-fortifying crops to meet present and future nutritional security needs. The grain fortification with enhanced mineral content in the seed endosperm/cotyledon depends on several factors: the nutritional status of the soil, the bioavailability of minerals in the rhizosphere, and, more specifically, the plant's ability to efficiently uptake and transport these nutrients to the sink organs. Microorganisms play a critical role in this process by improving soil health and facilitating the breakdown of trace elements through various biogeochemical cycles. In particular, plant growth-promoting (PGP) microbes, primarily actinomycetes, enhance bioavailability of minerals to crop plants, thereby improving seed mineral content. Emerging technologies and research innovations can combat global hidden hunger, and ensure nutritional security worldwide, even amidst the challenges posed by climate change. This review highlights the importance of biofortification, addresses the imminent challenges, and suggests actionable solutions. Additionally, it explores the combination of traditional agricultural practices with modern approaches to enhance nutritional quality of crops, thus contributing to a sustainable and secure food system for the future.

Item Type:	Article
Divisions:	Center of Excellence in Genomics and Systems Biology
CRP:	UNSPECIFIED
Uncontrolled Keywords:	micronutrients, fortifying crops, nutritional security
Subjects:	Others > Biofortification Others > Genetics and Genomics Others > Food and Nutrition Others > Food Security
Depositing User:	Mr Nagaraju T
Date Deposited:	13 Oct 2025 11:02
Last Modified:	13 Oct 2025 11:02
URI:	http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/13359
Official URL:	https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10...
Projects:	UNSPECIFIED
Funders:	UNSPECIFIED
Acknowledgement:	Rakesh Kumar is thankful to UGC-BSR startup grant, Govt. of India. Vinay Sharma acknowledges the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Govt. of India for the award of CSIR-SRF Direct fellowship (File No: 09/0800(18433)/2024-EMR-I) for PhD. Vinay Sharma also acknowledges the China Scholarship Council, Republic of China, for the award of CSC Scholarship-2021 (CSC No. 2021SLJ013035) and Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA) for the award of CLIFF-GRADS Scholarship. The authors would be thankful to the anonymous reviewers for their careful reading of the manuscript and for providing insightful suggestions.
Links:	Google Scholar

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