Abstract
Biofortification is the process of adding essential micronutrients and other health-promoting compounds to crops or foods to improve their nutritional value. This is imperative as the diets of over two-thirds of the world’s population lack one or more essential mineral elements and the three staple crops, rice, maize, and wheat, which provide nearly half of the calories consumed by humans, are deficient in micronutrients. A large body of information exists on augmentation through breeding approaches, both conventional and molecular, or through agronomic management practices. Other options include dietary diversification, mineral supplementation, food fortification, or increase in the concentrations and/or bioavailability of mineral elements in the produce. With the advent of metagenomic and next-generation sequencing tools and the development of the “holobiome” concept, the significance of microbiome in the productivity of soil and crops is becoming more evident. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) represent a wide variety of microorganisms, growing in association with plants. They lead to stimulation of growth of the host, due to the increased mobility, uptake, and enrichment of nutrients in the plant. Their significance in improving nutrient use efficiency of applied fertilizers and improving nutrient uptake in problematic soils or denuded lands is well established. However, they are less explored options in biofortification strategies and need to be included in agronomic and breeding approaches to develop effective biofortification strategies for the staple crops.
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Acknowledgments
We are thankful for financial support from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Network Project on Microorganisms “Application of Microorganisms in Agriculture and Allied Sectors” by ICAR), New Delhi. Thanks are also due to the Division of Microbiology, IARI, New Delhi, for their infrastructural support.
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Prasanna, R., Nain, L., Rana, A., Shivay, Y.S. (2016). Biofortification with Microorganisms: Present Status and Future Challenges. In: Singh, U., Praharaj, C., Singh, S., Singh, N. (eds) Biofortification of Food Crops. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-2716-8_19
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