Advances in genetic enhancement of nutritional quality of tropical maize in West and Central Africa

Micronutrient deficiencies are pervasive in the diets of millions of people in developing countries, calling for effective mitigation measures. The development of biofortified cultivars through breeding holds promise for sustainable and affordable solutions to combat micronutrient deficiencies. Bree...

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Main Authors: Gedil, M., Mengesha, W., Ilesanmi, O., Menkir, A.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: MDPI 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/141704
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author Gedil, M.
Mengesha, W.
Ilesanmi, O.
Menkir, A.
author_browse Gedil, M.
Ilesanmi, O.
Mengesha, W.
Menkir, A.
author_facet Gedil, M.
Mengesha, W.
Ilesanmi, O.
Menkir, A.
author_sort Gedil, M.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Micronutrient deficiencies are pervasive in the diets of millions of people in developing countries, calling for effective mitigation measures. The development of biofortified cultivars through breeding holds promise for sustainable and affordable solutions to combat micronutrient deficiencies. Breeding efforts in the past decade have resulted in dozens of biofortified open-pollinated varieties and hybrids adapted to diverse agroecological zones. Advances in genomics and molecular tools enabled rapid identification of maize cultivars enriched with essential micronutrients such as pro vitamin A (PVA), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn). Leveraging Multi-omics-driven discovery of the genetic factors underlying the vast array of nutritional traits is paramount to mainstreaming breeding for quality traits in the product profile. Molecular breeding schemes, and integrating emerging Omics tools at every stage of the breeding pipeline, are vital to enhancing genetic gain. The recent momentum in elucidating the metabolism of micronutrients should be expanded to novel breeding targets as well as to the simultaneous enhancement of nutritional qualities while curtailing anti-nutritional factors in staple food crops. Harnessing new technologies to establish comprehensive and integrated breeding approaches involving nutrigenomics, genome editing, and agronomic biofortification is crucial in tackling nutritional insecurity. This review highlights the prospect of integrating modern tools in hastening the genetic improvement of nutritionally enriched maize.
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spelling CGSpace1417042025-12-08T10:29:22Z Advances in genetic enhancement of nutritional quality of tropical maize in West and Central Africa Gedil, M. Mengesha, W. Ilesanmi, O. Menkir, A. africa west africa maize micronutrients breeding plant breeding nutrition Micronutrient deficiencies are pervasive in the diets of millions of people in developing countries, calling for effective mitigation measures. The development of biofortified cultivars through breeding holds promise for sustainable and affordable solutions to combat micronutrient deficiencies. Breeding efforts in the past decade have resulted in dozens of biofortified open-pollinated varieties and hybrids adapted to diverse agroecological zones. Advances in genomics and molecular tools enabled rapid identification of maize cultivars enriched with essential micronutrients such as pro vitamin A (PVA), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn). Leveraging Multi-omics-driven discovery of the genetic factors underlying the vast array of nutritional traits is paramount to mainstreaming breeding for quality traits in the product profile. Molecular breeding schemes, and integrating emerging Omics tools at every stage of the breeding pipeline, are vital to enhancing genetic gain. The recent momentum in elucidating the metabolism of micronutrients should be expanded to novel breeding targets as well as to the simultaneous enhancement of nutritional qualities while curtailing anti-nutritional factors in staple food crops. Harnessing new technologies to establish comprehensive and integrated breeding approaches involving nutrigenomics, genome editing, and agronomic biofortification is crucial in tackling nutritional insecurity. This review highlights the prospect of integrating modern tools in hastening the genetic improvement of nutritionally enriched maize. 2024-04-05 2024-05-02T08:48:47Z 2024-05-02T08:48:47Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/141704 en Open Access application/pdf MDPI Gedil, M., Mengesha, W., Ilesanmi, O. & Menkir, A. (2024). Advances in genetic enhancement of nutritional quality of tropical maize in West and Central Africa. Agriculture 2024, 14(4): 577, (1-15).
spellingShingle africa
west africa
maize
micronutrients
breeding
plant breeding
nutrition
Gedil, M.
Mengesha, W.
Ilesanmi, O.
Menkir, A.
Advances in genetic enhancement of nutritional quality of tropical maize in West and Central Africa
title Advances in genetic enhancement of nutritional quality of tropical maize in West and Central Africa
title_full Advances in genetic enhancement of nutritional quality of tropical maize in West and Central Africa
title_fullStr Advances in genetic enhancement of nutritional quality of tropical maize in West and Central Africa
title_full_unstemmed Advances in genetic enhancement of nutritional quality of tropical maize in West and Central Africa
title_short Advances in genetic enhancement of nutritional quality of tropical maize in West and Central Africa
title_sort advances in genetic enhancement of nutritional quality of tropical maize in west and central africa
topic africa
west africa
maize
micronutrients
breeding
plant breeding
nutrition
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/141704
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