Biofortification Strategies in Horticultural Crops: Addressing Micronutrient Malnutrition through Innovation
Résumé
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.