Provitamin A Maize Biofortification in Sub-Saharan Africa

Maize (Zea mays L.) has a great potential of combating food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa because of its wide production and consumption in this region. However, its role in curbing nutrition insecurity is limited due to lack of key micronutrients such as vitamin A. This negates its capacity to b...

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Main Authors: Kondwakwenda, Aleck, Sibiya, Julia, Zengeni, Rebeca, Musvosvi, Cousin, Andersson, Meike S.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: L' Unita di Ricerca per la Valorizzazione Qualitativa dei Cereali 2018
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/99330
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author Kondwakwenda, Aleck
Sibiya, Julia
Zengeni, Rebeca
Musvosvi, Cousin
Andersson, Meike S.
author_browse Andersson, Meike S.
Kondwakwenda, Aleck
Musvosvi, Cousin
Sibiya, Julia
Zengeni, Rebeca
author_facet Kondwakwenda, Aleck
Sibiya, Julia
Zengeni, Rebeca
Musvosvi, Cousin
Andersson, Meike S.
author_sort Kondwakwenda, Aleck
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Maize (Zea mays L.) has a great potential of combating food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa because of its wide production and consumption in this region. However, its role in curbing nutrition insecurity is limited due to lack of key micronutrients such as vitamin A. This negates its capacity to be a suitable solution for both food and nutrition insecurities that have plagued many African countries. This has contributed to high prevalence of “hidden hunger” related conditions in the form of vitamin A deficiencytriggered illnesses among others. About fifteenyears ago, HarvestPlus and partners introduced provitamin A maize biofortificaion in Africa to fightVitamin A deficienc. Provitamin A biofortificaion is a technology of increasing the provitamin A density in maize kernels through conventional breeding and/or biotechnology. The suitability of any given breeding strategy depends on the genetics and heritability of the provitamin A accumulation as a trait. This review (1) summarises the impacts of vitamin A deficiencyin sub-Saharan Africa, pointing out the disparities that exist between rural and urban vitamin A deficiencyprevalence in some of the African countries, (2) describes the genetics and molecular science behind maize provitamin A biofortificaion, (3) narrates the progress made so far in terms of maize cultivars development since the inception of maize biofortificaion in sub-Saharan Africa and (4) lastly, challenges of maize biofortificaion and possible solutions are highlighted
format Journal Article
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institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2018
publishDateRange 2018
publishDateSort 2018
publisher L' Unita di Ricerca per la Valorizzazione Qualitativa dei Cereali
publisherStr L' Unita di Ricerca per la Valorizzazione Qualitativa dei Cereali
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spelling CGSpace993302025-03-13T09:44:09Z Provitamin A Maize Biofortification in Sub-Saharan Africa Kondwakwenda, Aleck Sibiya, Julia Zengeni, Rebeca Musvosvi, Cousin Andersson, Meike S. biofotification micronutrients maize Maize (Zea mays L.) has a great potential of combating food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa because of its wide production and consumption in this region. However, its role in curbing nutrition insecurity is limited due to lack of key micronutrients such as vitamin A. This negates its capacity to be a suitable solution for both food and nutrition insecurities that have plagued many African countries. This has contributed to high prevalence of “hidden hunger” related conditions in the form of vitamin A deficiencytriggered illnesses among others. About fifteenyears ago, HarvestPlus and partners introduced provitamin A maize biofortificaion in Africa to fightVitamin A deficienc. Provitamin A biofortificaion is a technology of increasing the provitamin A density in maize kernels through conventional breeding and/or biotechnology. The suitability of any given breeding strategy depends on the genetics and heritability of the provitamin A accumulation as a trait. This review (1) summarises the impacts of vitamin A deficiencyin sub-Saharan Africa, pointing out the disparities that exist between rural and urban vitamin A deficiencyprevalence in some of the African countries, (2) describes the genetics and molecular science behind maize provitamin A biofortificaion, (3) narrates the progress made so far in terms of maize cultivars development since the inception of maize biofortificaion in sub-Saharan Africa and (4) lastly, challenges of maize biofortificaion and possible solutions are highlighted 2018 2019-02-07T21:05:49Z 2019-02-07T21:05:49Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/99330 en Open Access L' Unita di Ricerca per la Valorizzazione Qualitativa dei Cereali Kondwakwenda, Aleck; Sibiya, Julia; Zengeni, Rebeca; Musvosvi, Cousin & Anderson, Meike S. (2018). Provitamin A Maize Biofortification in Sub-Saharan Africa. Maydica, 1-9 p.
spellingShingle biofotification
micronutrients
maize
Kondwakwenda, Aleck
Sibiya, Julia
Zengeni, Rebeca
Musvosvi, Cousin
Andersson, Meike S.
Provitamin A Maize Biofortification in Sub-Saharan Africa
title Provitamin A Maize Biofortification in Sub-Saharan Africa
title_full Provitamin A Maize Biofortification in Sub-Saharan Africa
title_fullStr Provitamin A Maize Biofortification in Sub-Saharan Africa
title_full_unstemmed Provitamin A Maize Biofortification in Sub-Saharan Africa
title_short Provitamin A Maize Biofortification in Sub-Saharan Africa
title_sort provitamin a maize biofortification in sub saharan africa
topic biofotification
micronutrients
maize
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/99330
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