Summary
This narrative review, published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, examines the current status of zinc deficiency in Pakistan's agricultural soils and its consequences for human nutrition. It evaluates agronomic biofortification — principally through soil-applied and foliar zinc fertilisers — as a practical near-term strategy to increase zinc concentrations in staple food crops such as wheat and rice. The paper likely identifies key constraints to adoption including soil chemistry, farmer awareness, cost, and policy gaps, whilst making the case for biofortification as a complementary intervention alongside dietary diversification and supplementation.
UK applicability
The findings are specific to the arid and semi-arid soil conditions and severe zinc deficiency prevalent in Pakistan; however, the agronomic principles underpinning foliar and soil zinc application are broadly transferable, and the review may offer relevant insights for UK policy discussions on micronutrient stewardship and crop quality in zinc-marginal soils.
Key measures
Soil zinc concentration (mg/kg); grain zinc concentration (mg/kg); biofortification efficacy; prevalence of zinc deficiency in soils and human populations
Outcomes reported
The paper reviews the prevalence of zinc deficiency in Pakistani soils and staple crops, and examines the efficacy, benefits, and practical constraints of agronomic zinc biofortification approaches such as soil and foliar zinc applications.
Topic tags
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