Agronomic Biofortification of Food Crops: A Sustainable Way to Boost Nutritional Security

*Manoj Chaudhary, Abhijit Mandal, Soumyadarshi Muduli, A. Deepasree and Abshiba*

#### **Abstract**

After the green revolution, there has been a substantial increase in the productivity of food crops. But the nutritional aspect of crops could not keep pace with the growing demand of the population. This has led to a rise in malnutrition problems, especially in developing countries, due to a lack of balanced nutrition. Agronomic biofortification, the process of increasing micronutrient content in food crops through agronomic approaches, is seen as an important process to improve the status of malnutrition in the world. It is seen as a quick, safe, and cost-friendly approach to provide iron, zinc, and other micronutrients in our everyday diet. Unlike molecular/genetic approaches, agronomic biofortification is done on existing crops and varieties and hence the product is easily accepted by the consumers. Approaches like integrated nutrient management (INM) based on soil test values, microbial application, foliar spray of nutrients, can substantially increase the level of micronutrients, vitamins, folic acid, etc. in our food. With sufficient research interventions and awareness programs, agronomic biofortification can serve as a tool to improve the nutritional status of the world.

**Keywords:** agronomic biofortification, malnutrition, micronutrients, foliar spray, INM

#### **1. Introduction**

Malnutrition, the devil of hidden hunger has already gained its ultimate importance after setting of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) followed by Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The problem of malnutrition is reached in every corner of the Earth. Worldwide, it has been reported that around 2 billion people are affected by malnutrition [1]. Among them, nearly 850 million individuals experience the ill effects of undernourishment on this planet [2]. In low-income countries like Africa where the estimated risk for micronutrient deficiencies is high for Ca (54% of the continental population), Zn (40%), Se (28%), I (19%) and Fe (5%) [3]. Malnutrition mainly affects women and younger children in different forms in developing countries. An abysmal estimate of 151 million children under the age of 5 years are reported to be "stunted" and 51 million falls under the "wasting" category, that is, no proportionate weight as per the height [4]. 79.1% of India's children between the ages of

3 and 6 years, and 56.2% of married women (15–49 years) are anemic [5]. Vitamin A deficiency affects 169 million preschool children in South and Southeast Asia (33% of all preschool children) and 104 million (32% of all preschool children) in sub-Saharan Africa [6]. Various factors are responsible for malnutrition, but the unavailability of a balanced diet is the prime cause of it. The increasing deficiency of micronutrient in soil reduces the essential elements like minerals, vitamins in food and helps in malnutrition. Micronutrient deficiencies, even mild to moderate ones, can cause serious human health issues, such as impaired metabolic function, decreased immunity, and thus higher susceptibility to infections, growth failure, cognitive impairment, and, eventually, reduced productivity. Micronutrient deficiencies, even mild to moderate ones, can cause serious human health issues, such as impaired metabolic function, decreased immunity, and thus higher susceptibility to infections, growth failure, cognitive impairment, and, eventually, reduced productivity [1]. Hidden hunger can be prevented by direct (nutrition-specific) as well as indirect (nutrition-sensitive) interventions (**Figure 1**) [7].

Direct interventions focus on consumption behavior of humans and include dietary diversification, micronutrient supplementation, modification of food choices and fortification, whereas nutrition-sensitive interventions address the issue of malnutrition and include biofortification.

Fortification is a feasible, cost-effective, and sustainable practice for delivering the content of essential micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals (including trace elements) in the food, that improve the nutritional quality of the food and help to reduce the risk of public health problems. Biofortification, on the other hand, is the process of improving the nutritional quality of food crops using agronomic methods, traditional plant breeding, or modern biotechnology [8]. Biofortification differs from conventional fortification in that it tries to boost nutrient levels in crops during plant growth rather than using manual methods during crop processing. Biofortification may thus be a viable option for reaching populations where supplementation and traditional fortification methods are difficult to implement and/or limited [8]. Biofortification is primarily focused on staple crops which are starchy in nature like rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, millet, sweet potato, and legumes because they dominate diets worldwide, particularly among the groups which are vulnerable to micronutrient deficiencies, and

#### **Figure 1.**

*Percentage of the population affected by undernutrition by country, according to United Nations statistics from 2012 (source: Wikipedia).*

*Agronomic Biofortification of Food Crops: A Sustainable Way to Boost Nutritional Security DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.103750*

provides a feasible way of reaching malnourished populations with limited access to diverse diets, supplements, and commercially fortified foods [9].

The major drawbacks in biofortification through traditional plant breeding or genetic engineering is not only it require a long gestation period, adequate fund but also the products are not accepted in every country. Whereas agronomic biofortification is the easiest, fastest, and widely accepted way to reach the poorest of the poor rural masses and make foods rich in micronutrients, vitamins, Folic acids, etc. For example, Integrated application of AMF, P, and irrigation regimes on okra have given an increase in average total N, P, K, Ca, B and Mo uptake by 8, 24, 5, 14, 8 and 40%, respectively, over their non-AMF treatments [10].

#### **2. Need for biofortification**

Micro-nutrients are vitamins and minerals needed by our bodies in small quantities. However, their impact is critical, and its deficiencies create serious ill-health (WHO) like chronic diseases and stunting, weakening of immune system and reproductive systems and reducing our physical and mental abilities. More than 2 billion people suffer from micronutrient malnutrition and >20 million mortalities annually [11, 12]. It is also referred to as "hidden hunger". Among which Zn and Fe deficiencies rank 5th and 6th and mostly persisting in low-income countries (Ten leading causes of illness and disease in low-income countries, [13]. Children and women are most susceptible to micronutrient deficiencies. WHO estimates that, in 2017, over 6.3 million children under 15 years old and 5.4 million of them under 5, died as a result of malnutrition), particularly micronutrients [14]. This is mainly due to poor intake of proteins and micro-nutrients like Iodine, iron, Zinc, or monotonous food habit, lack of access to high-quality micro-nutrient-rich foods. Poor intake of micronutrient enriched food by pregnant mother' results in stunting of children when they were in the womb of the mother. Malnutrition is estimated to affect more than half of the world's population, making it one of humanity's most critical global concerns. Conventionally industrial fortification and pharmaceutical supplementation are major steps for alleviating malnutrition issues. But these things are low reachability to poor income countries sometimes they reluctant to intakes of this tablet. So, the efficiencies of these strategies are low. So as an innovative step Biofortification introduced, it is an act of breeding nutrients into food crops, is a relatively low-cost, long-term way of increasing micronutrient delivery. This strategy not only reduces the number of severely malnourished persons who need complementary therapy but will also assist them in maintaining their improved nutritional condition. Moreover, Biofortification is a practical way to address impoverished rural people who may not have access to commercially available fortified foods and supplements. They have cereal-based food habit which has less protein and vitamin and soils of this region are low in Zn (50%), Fe (30%), and iodine, most of the soil is degraded due to alkalinity and salt issues [15]. Micro-nutrient deficiencies affect yield, the various metabolic functions of crops like seed formation, flowering, and quality of foodstuffs. Some micronutrients, especially B, Mg, and Cu are involved in cell wall stability and strength and thus increase plant resistance against pathogen penetration. So agronomic fortification is also a major concern of biofortification. fortification not only insists on intensifying micro-nutrient content but also increase the bioavailability of micronutrient and reduce the quantity of anti-nutritional factors.

Three main difficulties that must be addressed in order for biofortification to be successful:

