Abstract
Micronutrient deficiencies, particularly iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), in human diets are affecting over three billion people globally, especially in developing nations where diet is cereal-based. Wheat is one of several important cereal crops that provide food calories to nearly one-third of the population of the world. However, the bioavailability of Zn and Fe in wheat is inherently low, especially under Zn deficient soils. Although various fortification approaches are available, biofortification, i.e., development of mineral-enriched cultivars, is an efficient and sustainable approach to alleviate malnutrition. There is enormous variability in Fe and Zn in wheat germplasm, especially in wild relatives, but this is not utilized to the full extent. Grain Fe and Zn are quantitatively inherited, but high-heritability and genetic correlation at multiple locations indicate the high stability of Fe and Zn in wheat. In the last decade, pre-breeding activities have explored the potential of wild relatives to develop Fe and Zn rich wheat varieties. Furthermore, recent advances in molecular biology have improved the understanding of the uptake, storage, and bioavailability of Fe and Zn. Various transportation proteins encoding genes like YSL 2, IRT 1, OsNAS 3, VIT 1, and VIT 2 have been identified for Fe and Zn uptake, transfer, and accumulation at different developing stages. Hence, the availability of major genomic regions for Fe and Zn content and genome editing technologies are likely to result in high-yielding Fe and Zn biofortified wheat varieties. This review covers the importance of wheat wild relatives for Fe and Zn biofortification, progress in genomics-assisted breeding, and transgenic breeding for improving Fe and Zn content in wheat.
Highlights
Wheat is an important cereal crop that provides food calories to one-third of the global population [1]
This review focuses on the impact of domestication, especially the green revolution, on wheat quality, the significance of genetic variation in wheat wild relatives, challenges in the genetic enhancement of Fe and Zn content in wheat, and utilization of genetic engineering to develop transgenic-based Fe and Zn-enriched wheat varieties
Wheat, being a crop of primary importance for ensuring food security for global populations remains deficient in Fe and Zn content
Summary
Wheat is an important cereal crop that provides food calories to one-third of the global population [1]. The agronomic wheat biofortification strategy is a quick, short-term process for enhancing nutrient availability by using integrated soil nutrient management (Fe and Zn fertilizers) to improve the kernel Fe and Zn concentration [14], but it is not a sustainable approach in the long run [15] and change or the adoption of different farming practices may be needed. Developing high Fe and Zn-enriched wheat varieties using breeding and genetic engineering approaches is a sustainable way to fight “hidden hunger” in the long term, provided enough micronutrients are available in the soil [16]. Recent technological developments in genomics have resulted in better utilization of existing variation through genome-wide association studies (GWAS), helping to attain rapid enhancement in Fe and Zn content in wheat grain [22]. This review focuses on the impact of domestication, especially the green revolution, on wheat quality, the significance of genetic variation in wheat wild relatives, challenges in the genetic enhancement of Fe and Zn content in wheat, and utilization of genetic engineering to develop transgenic-based Fe and Zn-enriched wheat varieties
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