Breeding Crop Plants for Improved Human Nutrition Through Biofortification: Progress and Prospects

Gangashetty, P I and Motagi, B N and Pavan, R and Roodagi, M B (2016) Breeding Crop Plants for Improved Human Nutrition Through Biofortification: Progress and Prospects. In: Advances in Plant Breeding Strategies: Agronomic, Abiotic and Biotic Stress Traits. Springer International Publishing, Switzerland. ISBN 978-3-319-22517-3 (Submitted)

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Abstract

Micronutrients are essential minerals and vitamins required by humans in tiny amounts which play a vital role in human health and development. Over three billion people in the world are malnourished, particularly in the developing countries. Current food systems cannot provide sufficiently balanced micronutrients required to meet daily needs and to sustain the wellbeing of people in developing countries. Heavy and monotonous consumption of cereal-based foods which contain limited amounts of micronutrients is one of the major reasons for the significantly high prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies in many of the developing countries. The development of crops with enhanced micronutrient concentration is one of the most sustainable and cost-effective approaches to alleviate micronutrient malnutrition globally. In this chapter we focus on the research to improve mineral element concentration in crops through plant breeding strategies, especially in major cereal crops and a legume which are most widely cultivated and preferred in Africa and Asia. Biofortification is an appropriate strategy to increase the bioavailable concentrations of an element in edible portions of crop plants through traditional breeding practices or modern biotechnology to overcome the problem of micronutrient deficiencies. Therefore, conventional breeding with modern genetic engineering approaches are important for developing crop cultivars with enhanced micronutrient concentrations to improve human health. This chapter reports on biofortification research on rice, pearl millet, sorghum, maize, wheat and common bean.

Item Type:	Book Section
Divisions:	RP-Dryland Cereals
CRP:	CGIAR Research Program on Dryland Cereals
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Biofortification, Bioavailability, Micronutrient deficiency, Micro nutrients, Fe, Zn
Subjects:	Others > Genetics and Genomics
Depositing User:	Mr Ramesh K
Date Deposited:	15 Apr 2016 08:33
Last Modified:	13 Sep 2017 05:31
URI:	http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/9429
Acknowledgement:	UNSPECIFIED
Links:	Google Scholar

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