Biofortification Strategies in Horticultural Crops: Addressing Micronutrient Malnutrition through Innovation
Ashutosh Kumar
Department of Horticulture Vegetables, K.V.K. Narkatiyaganj, R.P.C.A.U., Pusa, Bihar, India.
Amrita Kumari *
Department of Horticulture (Vegetable Science), Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India.
Vikas Pareek
Department of Botany, Maharaja Surajmal Brij University, Bharatpur- 321201, India.
Subhash Verma
School of Agriculture, Eklavya University Damoh (M.P.), 470661, India.
Shri Kant Bharty
Department of Agriculture, SR College of Professional Studies, Ambabai, Jhansi, India.
Titus Dalang K Momin
NICRA, KVK, South Garo hills, Meghalaya, India.
Sweta Subhashree Jena
Department of Floriculture and Landscaping, College of Agriculture, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar-751003, Odisha, India.
Surender Kumar
Department of Botany, Pt. N.R.S. Govt. College Rohtak, Haryana, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Micronutrient malnutrition, or "hidden hunger," is still a serious world public health issue, especially in developing nations. It occurs due to insufficient intake of vital vitamins and minerals like iron, zinc, iodine, and provitamin A, affecting one-third of the world's population. Biofortification, the increase in the content of nutrients in plants by traditional breeding, transgenic approaches, or agronomy practices has been a cost-efficient and sustainable solution to address this phenomenon. Although the majority of attention has been given to staple crops, horticultural crops such as vegetables and fruits have vast potential owing to their inherent richness in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Recent progress in biofortification methods like molecular breeding, genome editing, and nanotechnology is addressed in this review. It also mentions the production of nutrient-dense horticultural varieties such as Pusa Betakesari, Bhu Sona, Bhu Krishna, Kufri Neelkanth.
Keywords: Biofortification, hidden hunger, antioxident, biofortification strategies