Summary
This review by Cakmak (2008), published in Plant and Soil, synthesises evidence on agronomic approaches to increasing zinc content in cereal grains, with particular focus on soil and foliar application of zinc fertilisers. The paper situates agronomic biofortification within the broader context of global zinc deficiency, noting that wheat and rice — staple crops grown on zinc-deficient soils in many regions — deliver inadequate dietary zinc to large populations. It likely evaluates the relative efficacy, practicality, and cost-effectiveness of agronomic biofortification compared with plant breeding approaches.
UK applicability
While zinc deficiency in soils is more acute in parts of South Asia, Central Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa, the principles of foliar and soil zinc application are relevant to UK arable systems where soil zinc availability can be marginal; findings may inform UK grain quality standards and fertiliser recommendations for human nutrition co-benefits.
Key measures
Grain zinc concentration (mg/kg); zinc fertiliser application rates; bioavailability indicators; comparisons across cereal species and cultivars
Outcomes reported
The paper examines strategies for increasing zinc concentrations in cereal grain through agronomic interventions, including soil-applied and foliar zinc fertilisation, and considers implications for addressing human zinc deficiency in populations dependent on cereal-based diets.
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