Summary
This review, published in Plant and Soil, examines the science underpinning zinc biofortification in cereal crops, a strategy intended to address widespread dietary zinc deficiency affecting an estimated two billion people globally. It likely covers the physiological and molecular mechanisms governing zinc uptake from soil, translocation to grain, and the relative merits of agronomic approaches (e.g. zinc fertilisation) versus genetic and breeding strategies. The paper represents a comprehensive synthesis of the field as understood around 2020, drawing on evidence from multiple crop systems and geographies.
UK applicability
Zinc deficiency in cereal grain is a documented issue in UK arable soils, particularly on chalk and limestone-derived soils with high pH; the agronomic biofortification strategies reviewed — including zinc fertiliser application — are directly applicable to UK wheat and barley production and align with interests in improving the nutritional quality of domestically grown grain.
Key measures
Grain zinc concentration (mg/kg); zinc bioavailability; agronomic biofortification responses; genetic variation in zinc accumulation
Outcomes reported
The study likely reviews the agronomic and genetic approaches to increasing zinc concentration in cereal grains, examining both the biological mechanisms of zinc uptake and translocation and the potential for biofortification to reduce zinc deficiency in human populations.
Topic tags
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