Summary
This comprehensive narrative review by White and Broadley synthesises evidence on the biofortification of staple and horticultural crops with seven mineral elements commonly deficient in human diets globally. The authors evaluate both agronomic strategies (e.g. fertiliser application) and plant breeding or biotechnological approaches, considering the physiological mechanisms governing mineral uptake, translocation and accumulation in crops. The review provides a detailed assessment of the scope for improving dietary mineral supply through crop improvement, alongside discussion of soil–plant relationships relevant to each element.
UK applicability
Although the review is global in scope, the findings are directly applicable to UK agricultural and public health contexts, particularly given documented low selenium status in UK soils and populations, and ongoing interest in biofortification programmes such as selenium fertilisation of grassland and cereal crops.
Key measures
Mineral element concentrations in edible crop tissues (mg/kg); dietary reference intakes; prevalence of mineral deficiencies in human populations; genetic variation in crop mineral accumulation
Outcomes reported
The review examines agronomic and genetic approaches to increasing concentrations of iron, zinc, copper, calcium, magnesium, selenium and iodine in edible crop tissues, and assesses the potential of biofortification to address widespread mineral deficiencies in human populations.
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