Enhancing yield and nutritional quality of sweet potato through genotype selection and selenium application

By:
Qing Liao, Ying Xing, Li-Ping Pan, Jin-Ping Chen, Yong-Xian Liu, Dong-Liang Huang
Date:
2025

The article highlights biofortification as an agricultural strategy to combat global micronutrient deficiencies, particularly in zinc, iron, selenium, and vitamin A. It reviews progress in breeding, transgenic approaches, and agronomic practices for biofortifying staple crops such as rice, wheat, maize, and pulses. The article underscores the successes of programmes like HarvestPlus while also addressing challenges related to consumer acceptance, regulatory hurdles, and scaling in low-income regions. Future directions emphasize integrating advanced molecular breeding tools and precision agronomy to enhance biofortification efficiency. The overarching theme is that biofortification holds significant promise as a sustainable and cost-effective solution to improve global nutritional security.