Welch, R.W.
(2002)
Breeding Strategies for Biofortified Staple Plant Foods to Reduce Micronutrient Malnutrition Globally.
J. Nutr, 132.
495S-499S.
Abstract
i.e., resource-poor women, infants and children) globally is to enrich major staple food crops (e.g., rice,
wheat, maize, beans and cassava) with micronutrients through plant-breeding strategies. These target groups are
dependent on these staples for their sustenance. Available research has demonstrated that micronutrientenrichment
traits are available within the genomes of these major staple food crops that could allow for substantial
increases in the levels of Fe, Zn and provitamin A carotenoids (as well as other nutrients and health-promoting
factors) without negatively impacting crop yield. Furthermore, Fe- and Zn-dense seeds can increase crop yields
when sowed to soils deficient in these nutrients ensuring their adoption by farmers in these regions once they are
developed. Importantly, micronutrient bioavailability issues must be addressed when using a plant-breeding
approach to eliminating micronutrient malnutrition. The reduction of antinutrient substances that inhibit micronutrient
bioavailability or the increase in substances that promote micronutrient bioavailability from staple plant foods
are both options that could be pursued in breeding programs, although care needs to be taken not to compromise
agronomic performance and sufficient attention paid to possible beneficial roles of compounds which reduce the
bioavailability of trace minerals. The time has come to invest in agricultural technologies to find sustainable
solutions to micronutrient malnutrition. Plant breeding is one such technology that should be adopted by the
world’s agricultural community and that should be supported by the world’s nutrition and health communities.
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