Micronutrient fortification of plants through plant breeding: can it improve nutrition in man at low cost?
Micronutrient fortification of plants through plant breeding: can it improve nutrition in man at low cost?
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DOI：
10.1079/pns2003262
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发表时间：
2003-05-01
影响因子：
7
通讯作者：
Bouis, HE
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Bouis, HE
能否开发出能用必需的矿物质和维生素强化种子的常用粮食作物？能否诱导农民种植这些品种？如果是这样，这是否会以比现有营养干预措施更低的成本显著改善人类营养？目前正在进行一项跨学科的国际努力，培育矿物质和维生素密集的水稻、小麦、玉米、豆类和木薯品种，以提供给发展中国家的农民。生物强化战略力求利用所有家庭成员，包括妇女和儿童，每天持续消耗大量斯台普斯，因为他们最有可能患微量营养素营养不良。由于主要粮食在穷人的饮食中占主导地位，这一战略间接地针对低收入家庭。在一次性投资开发自我强化的种子之后，经常性成本很低，种质可以在国际上共享。正是这种跨越时间和距离的植物育种的乘数方面使其具有成本效益。一旦到位，生物强化作物系统是高度可持续的。即使政府对微量营养素问题的关注和国际资助逐渐消失，营养改良品种仍将年复一年地种植和消费。生物强化提供了一种真正可行的手段，可以帮助相对偏远的农村地区的营养不良人口，向那些难以获得在城市地区更容易获得的商业销售强化食品的人口群体提供天然强化食品。因此，生物强化和商业强化是高度互补的。种子中更高微量矿物质密度的育种不会导致产量损失。富含矿物质的种子会被卖给农民，因为最近的研究表明，这些微量矿物质对帮助植物抵抗疾病和其他环境压力至关重要。更多的幼苗存活，初始生长更快。最终，产量更高，特别是在干旱地区微量矿物质“缺乏”的土壤中。
Can commonly-eaten food staple crops be developed that fortify their seeds with essential minerals and vitamins? Can farmers be induced to grow such varieties? If so, would this result in a marked improvement in human nutrition at a lower cost than existing nutrition interventions? An interdisciplinary international effort is underway to breed for mineral- and vitamin-dense varieties of rice, wheat, maize, beans and cassava for release to farmers in developing countries. The biofortification strategy seeks to take advantage of the consistent daily consumption of large amounts of food staples by all family members, including women and children as they are most at risk for micronutrient malnutrition. As a consequence of the predominance of food staples in the diets of the poor, this strategy implicitly targets low-income households. After the one-time investment is made to develop seeds that fortify themselves, recurrent costs are low and germplasm may be shared internationally. It is this multiplier aspect of plant breeding across time and distance that makes it so cost-effective. Once in place, the biofortified crop system is highly sustainable. Nutritionally-improved varieties will continue to be grown and consumed year after year, even if government attention and international funding for micronutrient issues fades. Biofortification provides a truly feasible means of reaching malnourished populations in relatively remote rural areas, delivering naturally-fortified foods to population groups with limited access to commercially-marketed fortified foods that are more readily available in urban areas. Biofortification and commercial fortification are, therefore, highly complementary. Breeding for higher trace mineral density in seeds will not incur a yield penalty. Mineral-packed seeds sell themselves to farmers because, as recent research has shown, these trace minerals are essential in helping plants resist disease and other environmental stresses. More seedlings survive and initial growth is more rapid. Ultimately, yields are higher, particularly in trace mineral-'deficient' soils in arid regions.