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Manzeke-Kangara MG, Joy EJM, Lark RM, Redfern S, Eilander A, Broadley MR. Do agronomic approaches aligned to regenerative agriculture improve the micronutrient concentrations of edible portions of crops? A scoping review of evidence. Front Nutr 2023; 10:1078667. [PMID: 37502724 PMCID: PMC10371419 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1078667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Regenerative Agriculture (RA) is used to describe nature-based agronomic approaches that aim to build soil health and crop resilience, minimize negative environmental outcomes, and improve farmer livelihoods. A benefit that is increasingly attributed to crops grown under RA practices is improved nutritional content. However, we do not know the extent to which RA influences crop nutritional quality and under what management approaches and context, can such effects be realized. A scoping review of recent literature (Web of Science, 2000-2021) was carried out to assess the evidence that RA approaches improve crop micronutrient quality. Papers included combinations of agronomic approaches that could be defined as Regenerative: "Organic Inputs" including composts and manures, cover crops, crop rotations, crop residues and biochars; "Reduced Tillage", "Intercropping", "Biostimulants" e.g. arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; plant growth promoting bacteria, and "Irrigation", typically deficit-irrigation and alternate wetting and drying. The crop types reviewed were predetermined covering common sources of food and included: Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), Rice (Oryza sativa L.), Maize (Zea mays L.), Pulses (Fabaceae), Alliums (Allium spp.), and "other" crop types (30 types). This scoping review supports a potential role for RA approaches in increasing the concentrations of micronutrients in the edible portions of several crop types under specific practices, although this was context specific. For example, rice grown under increased organic inputs showed significant increases in grain zinc (Zn) concentration in 15 out of 16 studies. The vitamin C concentration of tomato fruit increased in ~50% of studies when plants were grown under increased organic inputs, and in 76% of studies when plants were grown under deficit irrigation. Overall, the magnitude and reproducibility of the effects of RA practices on most crop nutritional profiles were difficult to assess due to the diversity of RA approaches, geographical conditions, and the limited number of studies for most crops in each of these categories. Future research with appropriate designs, improved on-farm surveillance and nutritional diagnostics are needed for better understanding the potential role of RA in improving the quality of food, human nutrition, and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muneta Grace Manzeke-Kangara
- Division of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, School of Biosciences, Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, United Kingdom
- Rothamsted Research, Department of Sustainable Soils and Crops, Harpenden, United Kingdom
| | - Edward J. M. Joy
- Rothamsted Research, Department of Sustainable Soils and Crops, Harpenden, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - R. Murray Lark
- Division of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, School of Biosciences, Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, United Kingdom
| | - Sally Redfern
- Unilever Research and Development, Colworth Science Park, Bedford, United Kingdom
| | - Ans Eilander
- Unilever Research and Development, Unilever Foods Innovation Centre, WH Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Martin R. Broadley
- Rothamsted Research, Department of Sustainable Soils and Crops, Harpenden, United Kingdom
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Singh S, Kaur J, Ram H, Singh J, Kaur S. Agronomic bio-fortification of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) to alleviate zinc deficiency in human being. RE/VIEWS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND BIO/TECHNOLOGY 2023; 22:505-526. [PMID: 37234132 PMCID: PMC10134721 DOI: 10.1007/s11157-023-09653-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Worldwide, 40% population consumes wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) as a staple food that is low in zinc (Zn) content. Zn deficiency is a major micronutrient disorder in crop plants and humans worldwide, adversely impacting agricultural productivity, human health and socio-economic concern. Globally, the entire cycle of increasing the Zn concentration in wheat grains and its ultimate effect on grain yield, quality, human health & nutrition and socio-economic status of livelihood is less compared. So the present studies were planned to compare the worldwide studies for the alleviation of Zn malnutrition. Zn intake is affected by numerous factors from soil to crop, crop to food and food to humans. The post-harvest fortification, diversification in dietary habits, mineral supplementation and biofortification are various possible approaches to enhance the Zn concentration in food. The wheat grains Zn is influenced by the Zn application technique and time concerning crop developmental stages. The use of soil microorganisms mobilize unavailable Zn, and improve Zn assimilation, plant growth, yield and Zn content in wheat. Climate change can have an inverse impact on the efficiency of agronomic biofortification methods due to a reduction in grain-filling stages. Agronomic biofortification can improve Zn content, crop yield as well as quality and ultimately, have a positive impact on human nutrition, health and socioeconomic status of livelihood. Though bio-fortification research has progressed, some crucial areas are still needed to be addressed or improved to achieve the fundamental purpose of agronomic biofortification.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jagmohan Kaur
- Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 141004 India
| | - Hari Ram
- Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 141004 India
| | | | - Sirat Kaur
- Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 141004 India
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3
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Guo Z, Wang X, Zhang X, Wang L, Wang R, Hui X, Wang S, Chen Y, White PJ, Shi M, Wang Z. Synchrotron X-ray Fluorescence Technique Identifies Contribution of Node Iron and Zinc Accumulations to the Grain of Wheat. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:9346-9355. [PMID: 35852475 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c02561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Increasing iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) concentrations in crop grains with high yield is an effective measure to ensure food supply and alleviate mineral malnutrition in humans. Micronutrient concentrations in grains depend on not only their availability in soils but also their uptake in roots and translocation to shoots and grains. In this three-year field study, we investigated genotypic variation in Fe and Zn uptake and translocation within six wheat cultivars and examined in detail Fe and Zn distributions in various tissues of two cultivars with similar high yield but different grain Fe and Zn concentrations using synchrotron micro-X-ray fluorescence. Results revealed that root Fe and Zn concentrations were 11 and 44% greater in high-nutrient (HN) than in low-nutrient (LN) concentration cultivar. Although both cultivars accumulated similar amounts of Fe in shoots, HN cultivar had greater accumulation of Fe in grain and greater accumulation of Zn in both shoots and grain. Grain Zn concentration was positively correlated with shoot Zn accumulation, and grain Fe concentration was positively correlated with the ability to translocate Fe from leaves/stem to grains. In the first nodes of shoots, HN cultivar had 482% greater Fe and 36% greater Zn concentrations in the enlarged vascular bundle (EVB) than LN cultivar. In top nodes, HN cultivar had 225 and 116% greater Fe and Zn concentrations in the transit vascular bundle and 77 and 71% greater in the EVB when compared to LN cultivar. HN cultivar also had a greater ability to allocate Fe and Zn to the grain than LN cultivar. In conclusion, HN cultivar had greater capacity of Fe and Zn acquirement by roots and translocation and partitioning from shoots into grains. Screening wheat cultivars for larger Fe and Zn concentrations in shoot nodes could be a novel strategy for breeding crops with greater grain Fe and Zn concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zikang Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xingshu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xuemei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Li Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Runze Wang
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiaoli Hui
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Sen Wang
- Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Yinglong Chen
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, and School of Agriculture & Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6001, Australia
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Philip J White
- Ecological Sciences Department, The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, U.K
| | - Mei Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Ministerial and Provincial Co-Innovation Centre for Endemic Crops Production with High-quality and Efficiency in Loess Plateau, Taigu 030801, China
| | - Zhaohui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
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Kamaral C, Neate SM, Gunasinghe N, Milham PJ, Paterson DJ, Kopittke PM, Seneweera S. Genetic biofortification of wheat with zinc: Opportunities to fine-tune zinc uptake, transport and grain loading. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2022; 174:e13612. [PMID: 34970752 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Zinc (Zn) is an important micronutrient in the human body, and health complications associated with insufficient dietary intake of Zn can be overcome by increasing the bioavailable concentrations in edible parts of crops (biofortification). Wheat (Triticum aestivum L) is the most consumed cereal crop in the world; therefore, it is an excellent target for Zn biofortification programs. Knowledge of the physiological and molecular processes that regulate Zn concentration in the wheat grain is restricted, inhibiting the success of genetic Zn biofortification programs. This review helps break this nexus by advancing understanding of those processes, including speciation regulated uptake, root to shoot transport, remobilisation, grain loading and distribution of Zn in wheat grain. Furthermore, new insights to genetic Zn biofortification of wheat are discussed, and where data are limited, we draw upon information for other cereals and Fe distribution. We identify the loading and distribution of Zn in grain as major bottlenecks for biofortification, recognising anatomical barriers in the vascular region at the base of the grain, and physiological and molecular restrictions localised in the crease region as major limitations. Movement of Zn from the endosperm cavity into the modified aleurone, aleurone and then to the endosperm is mainly regulated by ZIP and YSL transporters. Zn complexation with phytic acid in the aleurone limits Zn mobility into the endosperm. These insights, together with synchrotron-X-ray-fluorescence microscopy, support the hypothesis that a focus on the mechanisms of Zn loading into the grain will provide new opportunities for Zn biofortification of wheat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandima Kamaral
- Centre for Crop Health, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
| | - Stephen M Neate
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Faculty of Sciences, University of Adelaide, Urrbrae, South Australia, Australia
| | - Niroshini Gunasinghe
- Centre for Crop Health, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
| | - Paul J Milham
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David J Paterson
- Australian Synchrotron, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Peter M Kopittke
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Saman Seneweera
- Centre for Crop Health, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Agriculture and Food Systems, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Reznick JPK, Barth G, Kaschuk G, Pauletti V. Nitrogen and cultivars as field strategies to improve the nutritional status of wheat grain and flour. J Cereal Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcs.2021.103290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Read TL, Doolette CL, Howell NR, Kopittke PM, Cresswell T, Lombi E. Zinc Accumulates in the Nodes of Wheat Following the Foliar Application of 65Zn Oxide Nano- and Microparticles. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:13523-13531. [PMID: 34037394 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c08544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Using zinc (Zn) foliar fertilizers to enhance the grain quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum) can be an effective alternative or supplement to Zn soil fertilizers. However, knowledge about the mechanisms of Zn absorption and translocation following foliar application is scarce. Here, autoradiography and γ-spectrometry were used to investigate the behavior of 65Zn applied to wheat leaves as soluble 65Zn chloride (65ZnCl2), chelated 65Zn (65ZnEDTA), 65Zn oxide nanoparticle (65ZnO-NP) suspensions, and 65ZnO microparticle (65ZnO-MP) suspensions. The largest amount of 65Zn absorption occurred in 65ZnCl2 treated leaves. However, this treatment (65ZnCl2) also had the lowest proportion of absorbed 65Zn translocated away from the treated leaf after 15 d due to leaf scorching (p = 0.0007). Foliar-applied 65ZnO-NPs and 65ZnO-MPs had the lowest absorption, but 65ZnO-NPs had the highest relative translocation. 65Zinc EDTA was intermediate, with higher 65Zn absorption than 65ZnO treatments but similar translocation. Regardless, the majority of the foliar-applied 65Zn remained in the treated leaf for all treatments. Furthermore, 65ZnO-NPs and 65ZnO-MPs accumulated in plant nodes, suggesting that Zn was absorbed as dissolved 65Zn and particulate 65ZnO. Overall, the form and amount of absorbed 65Zn affected translocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thea L Read
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia
| | - Casey L Doolette
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia
| | - Nicholas R Howell
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia
| | - Peter M Kopittke
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia
| | - Tom Cresswell
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia
| | - Enzo Lombi
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia
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7
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Do New-Generation Recycled Phosphorus Fertilizers Increase the Content of Potentially Toxic Elements in Soil and Plants? MINERALS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/min11090999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Phosphorus (P)-rich secondary raw materials can provide a valuable base for modern mineral fertilizers, provided that the new formulations do not load the soil–plant system with potentially toxic elements. Fertilizers from sewage sludge ash (SSA) and/or animal bones, activated by phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria (Bacillus megaterium or Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans), were tested in field experiments in north-eastern Poland. The reference provided treatments with superphosphate and treatment without phosphorus fertilization. In one experiment, all P-fertilizers were applied at a P dose of 21 kg·ha−1, and in the other three experiments, three P doses were adopted: 17.6, 26.4, and 35.2 kg·ha−1. The effect of recycled fertilizers on the content of arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) in the soil, in wheat grain and straw (test plant), weeds, and post-harvest residues was investigated. The application of recycled fertilizers in P amounts up to 35.2 kg·ha−1 did not change the As, Cr, Ni, Cu, or Zn contents in the soil and plant biomass. The contents of these elements in soil were below the permissible levels for arable land in Poland. Their concentrations in wheat grain and straw did not exceed the permissible or suggested limits for plant material to be used for food and feed, while in the weed and post-harvest residue biomass, they usually fell within the biological plant variability ranges.
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