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Iodine (I) is a beneficial micronutrient for crop plants and essential for human health, yet approximately two billion people worldwide suffer from I deficiency, resulting in significant health issues. Agricultural soils often lack sufficient I, resulting in crops with low I content. However, tomatoes have shown potential to accumulate I when supplemented externally, making them an ideal candidate for I biofortification, particularly as an alternative to iodized salt for individuals on low-sodium diets. This two-year greenhouse pot experiment evaluated the effectiveness of foliar application of potassium iodide (KI) in biofortifying two commercial tomato hybrids. Different concentrations of I (0, 1, 3, 6, and 9 mM/plant) were applied as foliar treatments to assess their effects on physiological parameters, yield attributes, and quality traits, especially I enrichment in tomato fruit. The results demonstrated that foliar application of KI significantly increased fruit I contents at concentrations that also promoted overall plant growth and development. These findings underscored the efficient translocation of I through the phloem in tomatoes. I enrichment in tomato fruits ranged up to 5.27 mg/kg, exceeding the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 150 μg/day. Even lower doses of 1–3 mM KI were effective in achieving significant I enrichment suitable for biofortification programs. In conclusion, tomato emerged as an excellent candidate for agronomic biofortification with I due to the practicality, and affordability of foliar application. The study highlights the potential of foliar I application as a feasible strategy for addressing global I deficiency, emphasizing its suitability for widespread adoption by farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc (Zn) deficiency is a major public health issue worldwide. The biofortification of Zn in popular vegetables could be a promising way to address this burning issue. To enrich tomatoes with bioavailable Zinc through agronomic biofortification. Seven tomato varieties were examined to identify the best one for Zn biofortification based on fruit Zn concentrations. Then six levels of Zn viz., 0, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 kg ha−1 were applied to screen out the best Zn dose for maximum biofortification. Finally, the identified Zn dose was applied using six strategies viz., 100% seedling priming, 50% soil + 50% foliar spray at seedling stage, 50% seedling priming + 50% foliar spray, 100% foliar spray at seedling stage, 100% foliar spray at flowering stage and 100% foliar spray at the fruiting stage to recognize the best application strategy. These three experiments were executed following a completely randomized design with three replications. In screening, BARI Tomato-14 showed the lowest Zn concentration compared to all other varieties. The application of 5 kg Zn ha−1 showed the highest Zn concentration in tomato with better yield and quality. Finally, 5 kg Zn ha−1 as 50% soil application + 50% foliar spray showed the maximum biofortification of Zn in BARI Tomato-14 with the highest growth, yield and quality. Therefore, application of 5 kg Zn ha−1 as 50% soil and 50% foliar spray on BARI tomato-14 could be a potential option to mitigate Zn deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global threat of food security and food production for ever-increasing population are the key challenges nowadays. Enhanced agriculture production and a rise in the quality of crops are needed. Sustainable and eco-friendly agriculture approaches are required to improve crop yield and nutritional value which is decreased because of an increase in population rate, changing climate and inflation in a hidden hunger. Crop biofortification could overcome these challenges. Biofortification will indirectly target low-income households who cannot afford a more diverse diet by capitalizing on the consistent daily intake of food staples. Biofortified crops can be developed by conventional plant breeding, agronomic strategies and genetic engineering but these have not always been successful. In recent years, use of naturally occurring microorganisms in the soil, i.e. plant growth promoting microbes (PGPM) most especially bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi has been recommended as a promising approach for the biofortification of important crops. Micronutrient contents in different plant tissues such as roots, leaves and fruits can be enhanced by inoculation of soil and crops with rhizospheric and endophytic microbes. PGPM fortifies crops by a different mechanism such as siderophore production, zinc solubilization, nitrogen fixation, and phosphate solubilization. Microbial biofortification is a novel strategy because it not only the increases concentration of micronutrients in edible food crops but also improves yield on less fertile soil. In this review we are emphasizing the biofortification of crops by microbes as a sustainable and cost-effective alternation for improving Fe, Zn and Se content of crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food security, agricultural sustainability, and nutritional security are global challenges for the present and future generations. Agronomic zinc (Zn) biofortification of crops is one of the best approaches to achieve the desired goal, with Zn being the most deficient soil micronutrient globally. With an aim to study the impact of Zn fertilization on okra pod mineral composition and to screen out the Zn efficient and responsive okra genotypes among the tested ones, a field experiment was conducted with eight genotypes and three Zn levels [0, 25 kg zinc sulfate heptahydrate (ZnSO4.7H2O) ha−1 as basal, and 25 kg ZnSO4.7H2O ha−1 as basal + two foliar sprays of ZnSO4.7H2O @ 0.5%) in a split-plot design with three replications. A significantly higher pod and straw yields were recorded for the Ankita genotype. While highest total Zn uptake was registered for the genotypes Hissar Unnat, Ankita, and Pusa Makhmali. The results also showed that the significantly highest Zn content in okra pod was recorded in NOKH-1012 genotype compared to the rest of genotypes at different levels of Zn application. The yield efficiency index varied from 81.1 (Hissar Unnat) to 89.2 (Pusa Makhmali), whereas, the uptake efficiency index varied from 52.7 (Hissar Unnat) to 75.6 (NOKH-1012). Based on yield and uptake efficiency indices, the okra genotypes were classified as efficient and responsive [Perkins Long Green (PLG), NOKH-1012, and Kiran Hybrid], inefficient and responsive [Punjab-8 (P-8), Ankita], efficient and non-responsive, (Pusa Makhmali), and inefficient and non-responsive (Hissar Unnat and Palam Komal). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable crop production is increasing, owing to environmental concerns over the intensive use of chemical fertilizers. This study investigated the effects of equal N substitution by pig slurry compost on micronutrients use efficiency and dry matter yield of Vicia faba L., Lupinus albus L. and Triticum aestivum L. Plants were grown in pots with sandy-loam soil and quartz (silica) sand under controlled greenhouse conditions. The treatments were (a) no fertilization (control), (b) NPK fertilizer, (c) pig slurry compost with 50% NPK (PSC), (d) quartz sand with pig slurry compost and 50% NPK (Quartz-PSC) applied at the same rate of 200 mg N kg−1 soil. Inorganic N (NPK) and PSC applications increased seed yield about 10-32%, shoot and root dry matter, on average, by 36% and 21% respectively in mature plants. Micronutrients uptake and use efficiencies were generally lower in PSC- plants than in NPK-plants. Results also showed increased seed Fe (3-28%), Zn (10-26%) and Cu (6-31%) concentrations in NPK and PSC-treated plants. Also, NPK (enriched with Se) significantly elevated seed Se concentration and use efficiency (SeUE) in all plants. Interestingly, PSC addition increased, although not significant, seed Se concentration and SeUE in faba bean and wheat. But no such effect was observed in white lupin. Overall, the results suggest that substitution of half-dose of NPK fertilizer with pig slurry compost is a promising alternative of chemical fertilizer for improved biomass yield and seed micronutrients (Zn, Fe and Cu) concentration in sustainable intensifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize (Zea mays L.) is highly susceptible to zinc (Zn) deficiency. Different application strategies (AS) can be utilized to improve grain yield (GY) and quality (Zn biofortification) by combining Zn fertilizer rate, source, timing, and placement techniques. This study aimed to evaluate whether different Zn-AS (soil, seed, and foliar) affect maize GY and grain Zn concentration in Mollisols with contrasting soil Zn availability and pH. Five site-years field experiments were carried out. Treatments (Zn-AS) were compared to a control, and included: seed-Zn, 0.3 kg Zn ha−1; foliar-Zn, 0.7 kg Zn ha−1 at V6 stage; and soil-Zn, 2.1 kg Zn ha−1 surface banded. Zinc fertilization increased GY (response ranged from 892 to 2519 kg ha−1) in four of five sites (p < 0.05). The evidence indicates that in scenarios of very low soil Zn availability (<0.9 mg kg−1 Zn-DTPA) greater Zn rates are required, and therefore soil-Zn and foliar-Zn are the more suitable AS. Grain Zn concentration ranged from 19.5 to 43.1 mg kg−1 and was not affected by Zn-AS. At all sites, even those showing GY response to Zn fertilization, grain Zn concentration in the control treatment was above the sufficiency threshold for maize GY (18 mg kg−1), indicating that this threshold needs to be updated for the current maize hybrids. Grain Zn concentration was predicted by the model: grain Zn concentration = 39.56 − 0.002 × GY + 9.62 × Zn-DTPA (R2 = 0.38). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor zinc (Zn) nutrition of wheat is one of the main causes of poor human health in developing countries. A field experiment with no zinc and foliar zinc application (0.5% ZnSO4.7H2O) on bread wheat (8), durum wheat (3), and triticale (4) cultivars was conducted in a randomized block design with three replications in 2 years. The experimental soil texture was loamy sand with slightly alkalinity. The grain yields of bread wheat, triticale, and durum wheat cultivars increased from 43.6 to 56.4, 46.5 to 51.6, and 49.4 to 53.5 t ha−1, respectively, with foliar application of 0.5% ZnSO4.7H2O. The highest grain yield was recorded by PBW 550 (wheat), TL 2942 (triticale), and PDW 291 (durum), which was 5.22, 4.24, and 4.56% and significantly higher over no zinc. Foliar zinc application increased zinc in bread wheat, triticale, and durum wheat cultivars grains varying from 31.0 to 63.0, 29.3 to 61.8, and 30.2 to 62.4 mg kg−1, respectively. So, agronomic biofortification is the best way which enriching the wheat grains with zinc for human consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]