Iron (Fe) and selenium (Se) deficiencies are global health concerns associated with adverse health outcomes. Plants constitute a dietary source of these elements, particularly for individuals following plant-based diets. However, plant Fe availability is limited by soil processes that reduce Fe mobility and uptake, whereas Se accumulation is constrained by the low abundance of Se in soils. Increasing Fe and Se concentrations in edible plant parts through biofortification represents a sustainable strategy to alleviate micronutrient deficiency. This review examines the mechanisms governing Fe and Se uptake, translocation, metabolism, and genetic regulation, and discusses current biofortification strategies, including agronomic practices, natural and microbial-based approaches, conventional breeding and marker-assisted selection, transgenic technologies, and nanoparticles. While cereals remain the principal targets of large-scale biofortification programs, recent advances in horticultural crops are also highlighted because of their growing nutritional and commercial importance. Current evidence indicates that integrated agronomic and genetic approaches are more effective than single interventions, although simultaneous Fe and Se biofortification remains largely underexplored. Successful biofortification is also strongly influenced by soil properties, nutrient interactions, and crop genotype. Emerging tools, including plant–microbe interactions and synthetic biology, offer promising opportunities to enhance micronutrient accumulation and bioavailability. Further research should optimize integrated Fe–Se biofortification strategies while addressing agronomic and socioeconomic constraints to support their large-scale adoption and contribute to sustainable food systems.
Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element in animals and humans, usually acquired via nutrition and thus often dependent on the Se content of the soil from where the food crops originate. The uneven distribution of Se in soils may therefore result in regional Se deficiencies, often further exacerbated due to climate change and its subsequent effects on Se speciation (i.e., the chemical forms in which Se occurs) and the element’s mobility. In recent years, biofortification has emerged as a promising approach to address this issue. This review provides an overview of how climate-driven changes in Se cycling influence soil Se availability and discusses the resulting implications for plant resilience, crop biofortification and dietary Se supply. Although plants do not require Se per se, an increased Se content of plants may improve their yields, antioxidant defences, and tolerance to various—climate (change)-related—stresses such as drought, salinity, and oxidative stress at low concentrations. So far, selenite (SeO32−) and selenate (SeO42−) are the most commonly employed Se species in agriculture, often via foliar and soil applications, and due to their excellent solubility in water are subject to leaching or other weather-related limitations. Alternative Se compounds, such as Se nanoparticles (SeNPs) and selenium sulfide (SeS2) present promising approaches that may enable a more controlled Se release in soils. Nonetheless, their long-term agronomic performance and environmental behaviour require further investigations.
Kevin Böhm, Shahrzad Safinazlou, J. Reichheld et al.· The Scientist· 0 citations
Hidden hunger refers to micronutrient deficiencies affecting nearly two billion people globally, especially in regions dependent on calorie-rich but nutrient-poor staple diets. Legumes, termed as the "poor man's meat" for their high protein content and low cost, are critical for enhancing nutritional security in resource-limited communities. This review emphasises agronomic biofortification as a rapid, promising and versatile strategy for enhancing essential micronutrients, particularly iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se), in legume grains. It discusses different agronomic strategies such as soil and foliar fertilisation, seed priming and biological interventions. Unlike conventional breeding and genetic methods, which require longer to develop, these agronomic techniques can increase nutrient density within a single cropping cycle. It also focuses on the scope of agronomic biofortification and addresses its challenges related to nutritional bioavailability, notably the inhibitory effect of anti-nutritional factors such as phytates and discusses strategies to enhance nutrient absorption through promoter compounds. Furthermore, emerging technologies such as nanotechnology and precision agriculture are recognised as promising innovations to enhance nutrient use efficiency (NUE) and ensure environmental sustainability. Overall, agronomic biofortification provides a sustainable pathway to combat micronutrient malnutrition and this approach requires integration with genetic advancements and supportive agricultural policies for its long-term success.
R. Vijayaprathipa, T. Parthipan, T. Ramesh et al.· Plant Science Today· 0 citations
Micronutrient deficiencies, collectively known as hidden hunger, affect more than two billion people worldwide and remain a major challenge for sustainable agriculture, global food security and human nutrition. Crop biofortification has emerged as a sustainable agricultural strategy to enhance the concentration and bioavailability of essential micronutrients in edible plant tissues while reducing reliance on post-harvest fortification and dietary supplementation. This review provides an integrated analysis of the soil, plant physiological, agronomic and molecular processes governing biofortification efficiency in agricultural systems. Particular emphasis is placed on how soil formation, mineralogy, nutrient speciation, organic matter and rhizosphere interactions regulate micronutrient availability, root uptake, translocation and accumulation in crops. The review further examines plant physiological mechanisms involved in nutrient acquisition and partitioning, together with the contribution of beneficial microorganisms, precision agriculture and digital technologies to improving nutrient-use efficiency under diverse agricultural conditions. Conventional breeding, agronomic biofortification, transgenic approaches and genome-editing technologies are critically evaluated as complementary strategies for developing nutrient-enriched and climate-resilient crop varieties. Particular attention is also given to nutrient bioavailability, post-harvest stability and consumer acceptance, which ultimately determine the nutritional effectiveness of biofortified crops. Furthermore, the review discusses how climate change modifies soil properties, plant physiology and crop productivity, thereby influencing micronutrient availability, nutrient accumulation and the long-term effectiveness of biofortification programmes. By integrating advances in soil science, plant physiology, agronomy and molecular biology, this review identifies current challenges, knowledge gaps and future research priorities for developing resilient biofortification strategies capable of supporting sustainable agricultural systems and improving global nutritional security.
C. Pessoa, D. Daccak, I. Luís et al.· The Scientist· 0 citations
Iron Deficiency (ID) continues to be one of the main hidden hunger issues in the world today, impacting billions of people and becoming a major hurdle for human food security and health. Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the widely cultivated and consumed cereal crops and thus has the potential to be an important target for iron biofortification to improve dietary iron intake, especially in cereal-centric diets. During the last decade efforts have been undertaken to understand the physiological, agronomic, genetic and molecular aspects associated to Fe uptake, transport, accumulation and bioavailability in maize. The recent progress in biofortification of maize with iron is reviewed, with a focus on soil Fe, strategy II Fe acquisition, Fe transport and Fe homeostasis and their effects on the accumulation of Fe in grain. Modern breeding technologies including conventional breeding, quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, genome wide association studies (GWAS), genomic selection, transgenic technologies and CRISPR/Cas mediated genome editing are discussed critically along with the recent advances of agronomic biofortification including soil and foliar fertilization, seed priming, nano-fertilizers and organic amendments. The review also focusses on the new functions of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), microorganisms producing siderophores and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the improvement of the iron availability and uptake in a sustainable biological way. Moreover, recent advances in multi-nutrient biofortification, precision agriculture, omics, artificial intelligence and genome-assisted breeding are explored as tools to facilitate the acceleration of the development of biofortified maize cultivars rich in iron. However, a number of challenges still exist, such as the bioavailability of iron, genotype × environment interaction, soil limitations, climate change, and regulation and farmer adaptation. It is concluded that the combination of molecular breeding, microbial-assisted technologies, precision agriculture and agronomic management are most likely to lead to the development of nutritionally improved maize varieties which will reduce the prevalence of ID and help to achieve sustainable FSNSS. Finally, future research priorities are seen which will assist in the efficient development and scale-up of iron-biofortified maize.
Mohammad Ashfaq, Muhammad Awais Iqbal, Arfana Mutti Khan et al.· Journal of Soil Future Resea...· 0 citations
Biofortification of wheat has emerged as a sustainable strategy to combat global micronutrient deficiencies, particularly iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) deficiency, while simultaneously improving grain protein quality. Among available approaches, mutation breeding has gained renewed attention as a non-transgenic tool capable of generating novel genetic variability for nutritional enhancement. This review is based on a comprehensive analysis of peer-reviewed literature retrieved from major scientific databases, including Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Studies published between 2005 and 2025 were critically evaluated to compare the effectiveness, advantages, limitations, and future prospects of wheat biofortification approaches. This review critically evaluates the role of mutation breeding in wheat biofortification and compares its effectiveness with conventional breeding, agronomic biofortification, and genome editing technologies. Evidence from published studies indicates that gamma-induced mutant lines have achieved significant increases in grain Fe and Zn concentrations, as well as improvements in storage protein composition, without regulatory constraints associated with transgenic methods. However, variability in genetic stability, potential yield penalties, and genotype × environment interactions remain important limitations. Overall, integrating mutation breeding with advanced molecular tools and agronomic practices offers a promising strategy for developing nutrient-enriched wheat varieties and enhancing global food and nutritional security.
G. Doktyrbay, S. Atabayeva, S. Asrandina et al.· Plants· 0 citations
Micronutrient deficiencies persist where affordable diets provide insufficient quantities of bioavailable minerals and vitamins. Pulses are strategically important targets for biofortification because they combine protein, dietary fibre and micronutrients with high consumption in many low- and middle-income settings. Their value, however, is constrained by a recurrent disconnect between increased seed nutrient concentration and demonstrated nutritional benefit. This critical narrative review evaluates pathways by which pulse biofortification can contribute to nutritional security, with emphasis on common bean, lentil, chickpea, field pea, mungbean and cowpea. Literature published from 2000 to 19 June 2026 was prioritised, with earlier seminal evidence retained when necessary. Genetic, genomic, agronomic, processing, bioavailability, human efficacy and delivery evidence was integrated rather than assessed as isolated technical domains. The strongest evidence supports heritable variation in iron and zinc concentration across several pulse species, substantial genotype-by-environment effects, and agronomic responsiveness of zinc, iron and selenium under appropriate soil or foliar management. Yet total seed concentration is an incomplete endpoint because phytate, polyphenols, mineral speciation, cooking losses and food-matrix effects alter the amount ultimately available for absorption. Human evidence is markedly uneven. Iron-biofortified common bean has progressed furthest from breeding through controlled feeding trials, with improvement in iron status and associated functional outcomes in Rwandan women, while comparable efficacy evidence for lentil, chickpea, mungbean, cowpea and pea remains limited. Delivery studies further show that seed access, agronomic performance, sensory acceptance and market diffusion determine whether nutritional traits reach habitual diets. The review therefore proposes a chain-of-evidence perspective in which nutritional security requires simultaneous success in crop performance, nutrient density, retention, bioavailability, consumption and population reach. Future programmes should breed for bioavailable nutrient delivery rather than concentration alone, validate stability across target environments, embed processing and human absorption endpoints earlier in selection, and evaluate adoption and equity at scale.
Omprakash, S. K. Jain, K. Chandra et al.· International Journal of Pla...· 0 citations
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