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Plant Nutrition Biofortification
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Plant Nutrition Biofortification

A topical collection in Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This collection belongs to the section "Plant Nutrition".

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Editor

Dr. Fernando Henrique Reboredo

E-Mail Website
Collection Editor
Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, New University of Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Interests: environmental impact assessment; environmental analysis; ecology; plant biology; food; forestry; agroforestry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

The journal Plants will be publishing a Topical Collection on "Plant Nutrition Biofortification" that will focus on studies regarding the enrichment of micronutrients in staple crops, developed worldwide. Food fortification is the intentional enrichment of a particular food micronutrient. A historical example is the addition of iodine to salt, which began in the 1920s in order to decrease the prevalence of goiter in the U.S. population. Additionally, the U.S. mandatory fortification of all enriched grain products with folic acid has prevented thousands of neural tube defect incidences per year.

Currently, several staple crops could be artificially enriched in iron, zinc, calcium and selenium, for example, to mitigate human micronutrient deficiencies responsible for a wide range of non-specific physiological impairments, leading to reduced resistance to infections, metabolic disorders, and delayed or impaired physical and psychomotor development.

Worldwide, the three most common deficiencies are of iron, vitamin A, and iodine. Together, these affect at least one-third of the world’s population, the majority of whom are in developing countries. Since the pioneering idea of Dr. Howarth Bouis, a co-laureate of the World Food Prize in 2016 to tackle “hidden hunger” through fortification, nearly 300 varieties of 12 crops (e.g., rice, wheat, maize, bananas, potatoes) are currently being grown in 60 countries, reaching an estimated 10 million farming households.

Prof. Dr. Fernando Henrique Reboredo
Collection Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the collection website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fortification
  • human health
  • micronutrient enrichment
  • plant nutrition
  • staple crops

Published Papers (5 papers)

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2022

Jump to: 2021

17 pages, 1671 KiB  
Article
Diazotrophic Bacteria Is an Alternative Strategy for Increasing Grain Biofortification, Yield and Zinc Use Efficiency of Maize
by Arshad Jalal, Carlos Eduardo da Silva Oliveira, Henrique Benetasse Fernandes, Fernando Shintate Galindo, Edson Cabral da Silva, Guilherme Carlos Fernandes, Thiago Assis Rodrigues Nogueira, Pedro Henrique Gomes De Carvalho, Vinícius Rodrigues Balbino, Bruno Horschut de Lima and Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira Filho
Plants 2022, 11(9), 1125; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11091125 - 21 Apr 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2315
Abstract
Biofortification of cereal crops with zinc and diazotrophic bacteria is a sustainable solution to nutrient deficiency and hidden hunger. The inoculation of staple grain crops such as maize is increased with reducing productivity losses while improving nutrition and use efficiency under climatic extremes [...] Read more.
Biofortification of cereal crops with zinc and diazotrophic bacteria is a sustainable solution to nutrient deficiency and hidden hunger. The inoculation of staple grain crops such as maize is increased with reducing productivity losses while improving nutrition and use efficiency under climatic extremes and weathered soils of tropical savannah. Therefore, objectives of our study were to evaluate the influence of seed inoculation with diazotrophic bacteria (No inoculation–Control, Azospirillum brasilense, Bacillus subtilis, and Pseudomonas fluorescens) together with residual effect of soil Zn (absence and presence) on growth, yield, Zn nutrition, Zn use efficiencies, and intake of maize in 2019 and 2020 cropping seasons. The inoculation of B. subtilis increased hundred grain mass and yield (14.5 and 17%), while P. fluorescens under residual Zn fertilization has improved shoot and grain Zn concentration in shoot (29.5 and 30.5%). and grain (25.5 and 26.2%), while improving Zn accumulation in shoot (33.8 and 35%) and grain (37.2 and 42%) of maize. The estimated Zn intake in maize was also increased with A. brasilense inoculation and residual Zn application. The Zn use efficiencies including Zn use efficiency, agro-physiological, and utilization efficiency was increased with B. subtilis, while applied Zn recovery was increased with A. brasilense inoculations under residual Zn fertilization. Zinc use efficiency was increased by 93.3 and 397% with inoculation of B. subtilis regardless of Zn application. Therefore, inoculation with B. subtilis and P. fluorescens along residual Zn fertilization is considered the most effective and sustainable strategy for agronomic biofortification of maize under harsh tropical conditions of Brazil. Full article
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2021

Jump to: 2022

11 pages, 1411 KiB  
Article
The First Evidence of the Beneficial Effects of Se-Supplementation on In Vitro Cultivated Olive Tree Explants
by Luca Regni, Maurizio Micheli, Alberto Marco Del Pino, Carlo Alberto Palmerini, Roberto D’Amato, Simona Lucia Facchin, Franco Famiani, Alessandro Peruzzi, Hanene Mairech and Primo Proietti
Plants 2021, 10(8), 1630; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10081630 - 09 Aug 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2028
Abstract
Selenium is an essential micronutrient that provides important benefits to plants and humans. At proper concentrations, selenium increases plant growth, pollen vitality, the shelf life of fresh products, and seems to improve stress resistance; these effects can certainly be attributed to its direct [...] Read more.
Selenium is an essential micronutrient that provides important benefits to plants and humans. At proper concentrations, selenium increases plant growth, pollen vitality, the shelf life of fresh products, and seems to improve stress resistance; these effects can certainly be attributed to its direct and indirect antioxidant capacity. For these reasons, in the present work, the effects of selenium at different dosages on in vitro cultivated olive explants were investigated to observe possible positive effects (in terms of growth and vigor) on the proliferation phase. The work was carried out on four different olive cultivars: “San Felice”, “Canino”, “Frantoio”, and “Moraiolo”. The explants were cultured in aseptic conditions on olive medium (OM), with the addition of 4 mg·L−1 of zeatin, 30 g·L−1 of sucrose, and 7 g·L−1 of agar. The experimental scheme included a comparison between explants grown with five different concentrations of Na2SeO4 (0, 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg L−1) added to the medium during three successive subcultures. Interesting information has emerged from the results and all varieties responded to different concentrations of Selenium. The optimal Se dosages varied for each cultivar, but in general, Se concentration between 10 and 40 mg L−1 increased fresh and dry weight of the explants and shoot lengths. Se treatment induced in all cultivars and for all dosages used an increase in total Se content in proliferated explants. Furthermore, as the subcultures proceeded, the ability of the explants to absorb Se did not diminish. The Se content ranged from 8.55 to 114.21 µg kg−1 plant DW in ‘Frantoio’, from 9.83 to 94.85 µg kg−1 plant DW in ‘Moraiolo’, from 19.84 to 114.21 µg kg−1 plant DW in ‘Canino’, and from 20.97 to 95.54 µg kg−1 plant DW in ‘San Felice’. In general, the effect of selenium tends to decrease with the progress of subcultures and this suggests a sort of “adaptation” effect of the explants to its presence. The present study highlights for the first time the possibility of using in vitro cultures as biotechnological support to study supplementation with selenium and its effects on in vitro olive plant growth. Full article
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13 pages, 1161 KiB  
Article
Estimation of Yield, Photosynthetic Rate, Biochemical, and Nutritional Content of Red Leaf Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Grown in Organic Substrates
by Md. Dulal Sarkar, Md. Jahedur Rahman, Jasim Uddain, Md. Quamruzzaman, Md. Obyedul Kalam Azad, Md. Hafizur Rahman, Md. Jahirul Islam, Mohammed Saifur Rahman, Ki-Young Choi and Most Tahera Naznin
Plants 2021, 10(6), 1220; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10061220 - 15 Jun 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3155
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of organic substrates on the growth yield, photosynthetic response, and nutritional profile of red leaf lettuce grown in different compositions of cocopeat (CP), sawdust (SD), and rice husk (RH). The result showed that the properties of [...] Read more.
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of organic substrates on the growth yield, photosynthetic response, and nutritional profile of red leaf lettuce grown in different compositions of cocopeat (CP), sawdust (SD), and rice husk (RH). The result showed that the properties of substrates were influenced variably by their mixing ratios. The highest water holding capacity and moisture content were found in CP, and it provided the preferable pH, electrical conductivity, bulk density, and air-filled porosity in association with other categories of the substrate. Cocopeat-based media provides ample microclimate conditions in the root region of plants and increased their height, number of leaves, and fresh biomass components. The utmost dry biomass of plant parts also remarkably increased in CP; L*, a*, and b* chromaticity of leaves remained unchanged. The maximum chlorophyll content was attained in CP substrate, except for chlorophyll a/b, which was higher in RH. The net photosynthetic rate (PN), transpiration rate (E), and nitrate in leaves were enhanced substantially in CP, while it was lower in SD. Biochemical compositions and nutrients in leaves were likewise stimulated under the culture of cocopeat-based media. Results indicate that cocopeat, sawdust, and rice husk are a possible substrates mixture in a volume ratio of 3:1:1, which would be a better choice in the cultivation of red leaf lettuce. Full article
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18 pages, 1238 KiB  
Article
Effect of Rice Grain (Oryza sativa L.) Enrichment with Selenium on Foliar Leaf Gas Exchanges and Accumulation of Nutrients
by Ana Coelho Marques, Fernando C. Lidon, Ana Rita F. Coelho, Cláudia Campos Pessoa, Inês Carmo Luís, Paula Scotti Campos, Manuela Simões, Ana Sofia Almeida, Maria F. Pessoa, Carlos Galhano, Mauro Guerra, Roberta G. Leitão, Paulo Legoinha, José C. Ramalho, José N. Semedo, Ana Paula Rodrigues, Paula Marques, Cátia Silva, Ana Ribeiro-Barros, Maria José Silva, Maria Manuela Silva, Karliana Oliveira, David Ferreira, Isabel P. Pais and Fernando H. Reboredoadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Plants 2021, 10(2), 288; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020288 - 03 Feb 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2991
Abstract
An agronomic itinerary for Se biofortification of two rice cultivars (Ariete and Ceres) through foliar fertilization with sodium selenate and sodium selenite with different concentrations (25, 50, 75 and 100 g Se.ha−1), was implemented in experimental fields. The selenium toxicity threshold [...] Read more.
An agronomic itinerary for Se biofortification of two rice cultivars (Ariete and Ceres) through foliar fertilization with sodium selenate and sodium selenite with different concentrations (25, 50, 75 and 100 g Se.ha−1), was implemented in experimental fields. The selenium toxicity threshold was not exceeded, as shown by the eco-physiological data obtained through leaf gas exchanges. The highest Se enrichment in paddy grains was obtained with selenite for both cultivars, especially at the highest doses, i.e., 75 and 100 g Se.ha−1, with approximately a 5.0-fold increase compared with control values. In paddy grains, Zn was the most affected element by the treatments with Se with decreases up to 54%. When comparing the losses between rough and polished grains regardless of the cultivars, Se species and concentrations, it was observed that only Cu, Mg and Zn exhibited losses <50%. The remaining elements generally had losses >70%. The loss of Se is more pronounced in Ceres cultivar than in Ariete but rarely exceeds 50%. The analysis by µ-EDXRF showed that, in Ariete cultivar, Se is mostly homogeneously distributed in the grain regardless of any treatments, while in Ceres cultivar, the Se distribution seems to favor accumulation in the periphery, perhaps in the bran. Full article
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25 pages, 3104 KiB  
Article
Zinc Enrichment in Two Contrasting Genotypes of Triticum aestivum L. Grains: Interactions between Edaphic Conditions and Foliar Fertilizers
by Inês Carmo Luís, Fernando C. Lidon, Cláudia Campos Pessoa, Ana Coelho Marques, Ana Rita F. Coelho, Manuela Simões, Manuel Patanita, José Dôres, José C. Ramalho, Maria Manuela Silva, Ana Sofia Almeida, Isabel P. Pais, Maria Fernanda Pessoa, Fernando Henrique Reboredo, Paulo Legoinha, Mauro Guerra, Roberta G. Leitão and Paula Scotti Campos
Plants 2021, 10(2), 204; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020204 - 21 Jan 2021
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 2519
Abstract
This study aimed to assess the implications of Zn enrichment in wheat grains as a function of contrasting genotypes, edaphic conditions and foliar fertilizers. Triticum aestivum L. varieties Roxo and Paiva were grown in four production fields, and sprayed with ZnSO4 (0, [...] Read more.
This study aimed to assess the implications of Zn enrichment in wheat grains as a function of contrasting genotypes, edaphic conditions and foliar fertilizers. Triticum aestivum L. varieties Roxo and Paiva were grown in four production fields, and sprayed with ZnSO4 (0, 16.20 and 36.40 kg/ha) Zn-EDTA (0, 6.30 and 12.60 kg/ha) and Tecnifol Zinc (0, 3.90 and 7.80 kg/ha). The heterogeneous edaphic conditions of the wheat fields were chemically characterized, it being found that soil properties determine different Zn accumulation in the grains of both genotypes. Foliar spraying enhanced to different extents Zn content in the grains of both genotypes, but the average of enrichment indexes varied among the wheat fields. Zinc mostly accumulated in the embryo and vascular bundle and to a lesser extent in the endosperm. Grain yield and test weight sprayed by ZnSO4 gave the highest values in both genotypes, but the opposite was found for Zn-EDTA. Considering the color parameters, lightness and red–green transitions were found to be a conjunction of genotype characteristics, fertilization types and edaphic conditions prevailing in each field. It is concluded that the index of Zn enrichment in wheat grains is a docket of edaphic conditions, genotype and type of fertilization. Full article
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