Opinion Editorial

Enhancing Crop Nutrition through Agronomy: A Path to improving Global Health

In an era where malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies affect over two billion people worldwide, especially in low-income regions, biofortification presents a transformative solution for delivering nutrient-dense food. By increasing the nutrient concentration of staple crops through targeted agronomic practices, we can help combat hidden hunger, which disproportionately affects communities that rely on cereal staples. Biofortification, defined as the process of naturally increasing vitamins and minerals in crops through breeding or agronomic interventions, has the potential to impact public health significantly. However, unlocking its full potential requires addressing various challenges—from balancing yield with nutrient density to leveraging precision agriculture.

The Urgency of Biofortification in a Changing Global Landscape

Today, nearly one-third of the global population lacks essential micronutrients like iron, zinc, and vitamin A. These deficiencies hinder human health and development and create widespread economic and social burdens. Biofortification, particularly in staple crops like wheat, rice, and maize, offers a pathway to deliver essential nutrients directly through daily diets. As Dr. Sileshi notes, "Decades of breeding focusing on increasing yields alone have left us with high-yielding crops that often contain lower concentrations of essential nutrients compared to landraces or ancestral crops." Through biofortification, agronomy can address this gap, providing more nutritious food to regions with limited food diversity and improving community health outcomes.

Navigating the Yield-Nutrient Trade-Off in Crop Production

One of the most significant challenges in biofortification is balancing the demand for high- yield with the need for nutrient-rich food. Historically, crop breeding has focused primarily on increasing yield to meet the growing food demands, often at the expense of nutritional quality. However, breeding alone cannot solve the problem; it must be coupled with suitable agronomic practices that sustain nutrient density even in high-yield conditions.

Research has shown that increasing the nutrient density of crops like wheat and maize can impact yields due to complex genetic and environmental factors. For example, high rates of phosphorus application or high level of indigenous soil phosphorus can interfere with the uptake of zinc by crops and its availability in the edible parts such as grains. Dr. Mina Devkota, a lead researcher in the field, explains, "A context-specific fertilizer management approach, adjusting nutrient application based on soil conditions and crop demand-based, can help overcome these nutrient antagonisms and optimize nutrient uptake." Advances in agronomy are providing tools to balance these elements through soil enrichment techniques and more precise fertilizer applications. Dr. Devkota emphasis that crop nutrient concentrations can be simultaneously improved through the complementary use of agronomic and genetic biofortification.

Precision Agriculture: A Game-Changer in Biofortification

To address nutrient density at scale, precision agriculture has emerged as a powerful ally. By leveraging technologies like variable-rate fertilization, guided by soil mapping and sensor- based monitoring, agronomists can optimize nutrient applications for biofortified crops. This precision is essential in balancing nutrient requirements and maximizing biofortification outcomes. For example, variable-rate application ensures that zinc and iron levels meet target densities while avoiding excess phosphorus, which can counteract zinc uptake.

Dr. Job, who leads the Excellence in Agronomy (EiA) Initiative's biofortification research, describes the role of digital tools in this process: "Tailored and context-specific recommendations enable more efficient nutrient management, improve profits for farmers through reduced or optimized input costs while improving nutrient density in crops. The tailored recommendations are informed by digital soil maps and in advanced cases through sensor-based technologies." These technologies help agronomists precisely monitor crop nutrient status and provide timely interventions, ultimately leading to healthier, more nutritious crops. The Excellence in Agronomy initiative is pioneering data-driven approaches to tailoring of recommendations, aimed to maximize the genetic potential of crops.

Facilitating Farmer adoption, Consumer Acceptance and Shaping Market Dynamics for Biofortified Foods

For biofortification to be effective on a large scale, farmer adoption, consumer acceptance and market support are crucial. Farmers and consumers may need more awareness of biofortified foods due to misconceptions or a lack of awareness, which calls for comprehensive education campaigns to bridge the information gap. To foster broader acceptance, it's essential to convey the health benefits of biofortified foods, especially in communities heavily affected by micronutrient deficiencies.

Market incentives and policy interventions also play a pivotal role in promoting farmers' and consumers' adoption of biofortified crops. Dr. Sileshi emphasizes the need for supportive policies: "By providing subsidies for biofortified seed varieties and promoting them in staple crops, governments can encourage more farmers to adopt these innovations." Initiatives that create financial incentives for biofortification, such as premium pricing for biofortified foods or targeted subsidies for farmers, can help drive widespread adoption.

The Path Forward: Future Research and Agronomic Innovations in Biofortification

While biofortification has made substantial progress, several areas still require further exploration. For instance, understanding how biofortified crops retain their nutrient levels through post-harvest processing, storage, and cooking will ensure these benefits reach consumers. Additionally, integrating biofortification with sustainable agriculture practices like conservation agriculture could improve soil health and crop nutrition over the long term.

Future biofortification breakthroughs will likely come from a combination of genetic and agronomic innovations. New breeding techniques, such as gene editing, could enable the precise selection of nutrient-dense traits without compromising yield. Additionally, soil and crop management practices, such as soil and foliar applications of Zn and Fe and use of organic fertilizers, could further enhance nutrient density of produce. "In the quest for food security, agronomy's role is indispensable—not only in feeding a growing population but in nourishing it with essential nutrients," Dr. Mina Devkota concludes.

Enhancing Global Health, One Crop at a Time

As the world grapples with the dual challenges of food security and malnutrition, agronomy offers a path forward. Biofortification can become a sustainable and impactful solution for micronutrient deficiencies through practices that prioritize soil health, precision nutrient management, and genetic innovation. By aligning agronomic practices with breeding innovations, we can unlock the potential of our food systems to nourish people and communities worldwide.