Methods of Biofortification – Imaluop

Hi we are going to discuss methods of biofortification but before we go ahead we will discuss a general overview of biofortification which includes basic ideas about biofortification. 

Basic Idea About Biofortification: 

For our cellular metabolism we need different types of nutrients which we get from the food but now it is a very common problem in the human population that the food is low in nutrients. It causes different micronutrients deficiency in humans which leads to different deficiency syndrome, reduced lifespan in humans and other animals.  

Now if we want to avoid these deficiencies we have to take a lot of food like fruit, nutrients rich foods like vegetables, meat, eggs on a regular basis but what happens if a person is not able to afford sufficient amounts of nutrients rich foods then there is great possibility of occurring those deficiency disorders.

To cope with this problem, nutrient rich crop production is now promoted in some portions of the world and scientists are trying to develop a nutrient rich variety of crops so that we do not have to add the nutrients manually with the food during food processing. 

Biofortification is mostly promoted to those countries in which people are not able to afford sufficient amounts of nutrients rich foods so biofortification helps to meet their nutrient requirements without manual addition of nutrients.  

Biotechnology is used to produce micronutrients rich crops and selective breeding give desired traits of rich micronutrients crops. Biofortification is helpful for cost effective supply of micronutrients rich foods and prevention of various micronutrients deficiency disorders.  

Methods of Biofortification: 

We can incorporate micronutrients rich character in crops in two ways: either we can develop a new variety with micronutrients rich crops with the help of selective breeding or we can develop genetically modified organisms to get micronutrients rich crops. 

Selective Breeding: 

It is the most common way to improve the nutrition rich crops in which scientists perform crossing between high yield crops and high nutrients containing natural variety to get micronutrients rich foods.

But after production of the micronutrients rich foods scientists must check if the nutrients in the crops during storage and cooking of the food. Selective breeding incorporates the good quality we want to add in crops like high nutrient quality and its high production so that the plant produces a high amount of nutrients as well as its yield is also so high.  

Genetic Modification: 

Any traits in a crops is due to its genetic information because the gene present in nucleus when express themselves we can observe the traits also same principle applicable for the micronutrients rich crops.

Because the high amount of micronutrients is the result of expression of certain gene present in the nucleus so when the crop have high quality gene for more micronutrients production then the crops become rich in micronutrients.

Now naturally all crops do not have those special gene which responsible for micronutrients rich crops so we have to alter the genetic makeup of the low micronutrients crops so that they able to produce micronutrients rich crops.

Scientists identify the gene present in some wild species in which micronutrients are present in large amounts then the genes are introduced into the natural crops which have low micronutrients level to produce high quality micronutrients rich crops variety.

For example scientists develop golden rice which have great amount of beta carotene and the beta carotene is very important for producing of vitamin A so golden rice can help to prevent vitamin A deficiency in human.

Today we have very large number of genetically modified crops which is rich in micronutrients and help to prevent various micronutrients deficiency disorders in those people who can not afford nutrients rich foods regularly. 

Read More: Artificial Hybridisation in Plants