Agronomic biofortification of rice and wheat with zinc: A metanalytical study

Elisangela Sordi,Renata Rebesquini,Francine Lautenchleger,Tatiana Benedetti,Ivan Ricardo Carvalho,Jaqueline Huzar Novakowiski,Edson Campanhola Bortoluzzi

doi:10.33448/rsd-v10i6.15133

Abstract

A diet based on cereals may lack essential mineral elements, among them zinc. The provision of this element in diets can be via supplements, food fortifiers or agronomic biofortification (AB), a practice adopted on a farmer scale. It was carried out different studies in countries with specific local conditions. The meta-analysis allows combining quantitative results from different studies, providing a synthesis of results with high reliability. The objective of this work was to analyze the response of rice (Oryza spp.) and wheat (Triticum spp.) to fertilization with zinc in terms of grain yield and accumulation of this nutrient in the grain. We carried out a systematic review where 16 scientific articles from the last five years were selected, and 179 studies fitted the established criteria. The effect size for Zn application via leaf or soil in rice and wheat compared to the control was calculated using the natural logarithm (lnR) between the ratio of the treatment group and the control group for both variables. Agronomic biofortification with Zn increases grain yield (7%) and zinc content in grains (53%). These results depend on plant species and the fertilization way (via the soil or foliar spray). Agronomic Biofortification may be a valuable strategy to combat malnutrition and guarantee food sovereignty.

Highlights

Two-thirds of the world’s population lack essential mineral elements (White & Broadley, 2009), causing “hidden hunger” when referring to vitamins and micronutrients (Stein et al, 2007), most commonly linked to iron, A vitamin and iodine deficiencies
The Asian studies are essential because rice and wheat have been cultivated in the continent for over 1000 years (Amanullah & Inamullah, 2016), and zinc is one of the main limitations of rice productivity (Quijano-Guerta et al 2002)
Our meta-analysis highlights the positive effect of zinc biofortification on rice and wheat crops

Summary

Introduction

Two-thirds of the world’s population lack essential mineral elements (White & Broadley, 2009), causing “hidden hunger” when referring to vitamins and micronutrients (Stein et al, 2007), most commonly linked to iron, A vitamin and iodine deficiencies. It can be associated with zinc, calcium and selenium. The lack of use of organic fertilizers and the unbalanced plant nutrition (Kumar et al, 2016), the access to food, the consumption of safe and healthy food and distribution of wealth, whose consequence is the lack of food security (Bliska et al, 2009). It can interfere in growth and cause diarrhea and pneumonia in children under five, contributing significantly to the increase in infant mortality worldwide (Stein et al, 2005), mainly where the diet is based on cereals (Montoya et al, 2020)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion