Development of rice varieties with improved iron content in grain

Publication date: 31/07/2016
Extent: 16 pages

Contributions by: Navreet K. Bhullar, ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Chapter synopsis: Iron deficiency constitutes one of the most prevalent forms of micronutrient deficiencies affecting human health. Biofortification of food crops is suggested as a suitable approach to address iron deficiency in a sustainable and cost-effective manner. Rice, a staple food for over half of the world’s population, is an important target crop for iron enrichment. Due to limited germplasm variability for endosperm iron content, conventional breeding has not met much success in developing high-iron rice lines. Genetic engineering approaches have demonstrated varied degrees of success in enriching rice endosperm with iron. This chapter reviews the studies focused on iron enhancement in the rice endosperm.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2016.0003.33