Research
Micronutrients & recovery
Increasing micronutrient (Fe, Zn) content in seeds enhances crop yield and seedling vigor, particularly when grown in micronutrient-poor soils, creating a 'win-win' for farmers and nutrition.
Farmers in nutrient-poor regions should consider using biofortified seeds (high Fe/Zn) not just for health, but because they often produce higher yields and better seedling vigor than standard seeds in those specific soils.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
increasing the micronutrient metals stored in the seeds and grains of staple food crops increases crop productivity when these seeds are sown to micronutrient-poor soils... This improved seedling vigour is associated with the production of more and longer roots... allowing seedlings to scavenge more soil volume for micronutrients and water early in growth, an advantage that can lead to improved yields
Why this rating
Supported by specific field trial data from Bangladesh showing yield increases, though described as 'unpublished data' in the text.
Source
Breeding for micronutrients in staple food crops from a human nutrition perspective
Ross M. Welch et al. · Journal of Experimental Botany · 2004
DOI 10.1093/jxb/erh064
narrative_reviewCited 1,523×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Biofortifying staple crops (rice, wheat, maize, beans, cassava) with micronutrients (Fe, Zn, Vitamin A) via plant breeding or genetic engineering is a sustainable intervention to combat global micronutrient malnutrition.Good
- Reducing antinutrients (e.g., phytate, polyphenolics) in staple crops to improve micronutrient bioavailability must be done with caution due to potential negative impacts on plant stress resistance and human health benefits (e.g., anticarcinogenic effects).Moderate
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