Finger on the Pulse: Pumping Iron into Chickpea

The article highlights the potential of chickpea biofortification as a sustainable solution to iron deficiency, which affects more than two billion people worldwide and is the leading cause of anemia. While supplementation and food fortification are effective, they remain costly and inaccessible for vulnerable populations. Chickpea, as a protein-rich pulse, is a promising candidate for biofortification. The review explores progress in screening germplasm for high-iron traits, current knowledge gaps on molecular mechanisms, and potential applications of genetic modification (GM) technologies. Lessons from rice biofortification research suggest that chickpea biofortification can significantly enhance dietary iron intake if coupled with advances in molecular breeding and transgenic approaches.