OAR@ICRISATBreeding Crop Plants for Improved Human Nutrition Through Biofortification: Progress and ProspectsP IGangashettyauthorB NMotagiauthorRPavanauthorM BRoodagiauthorMicronutrients 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.Genetics and Genomics2016Springer International PublishingBook Section

For work being deposited by its own author: In self-archiving this collection of files and associated bibliographic metadata, I grant OAR@ICRISAT the right to store them and to make them permanently available publicly for free on-line. I declare that this material is my own intellectual property and I understand that OAR@ICRISAT does not assume any responsibility if there is any breach of copyright in distributing these files or metadata. (All authors are urged to prominently assert their copyright on the title page of their work.)

For work being deposited by someone other than its author: I hereby declare that the collection of files and associated bibliographic metadata that I am archiving at OAR@ICRISAT) is in the public domain. If this is not the case, I accept full responsibility for any breach of copyright that distributing these files or metadata may entail.

Clicking on the deposit button indicates your agreement to these terms.