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Plant Science Today (PST)

Review Articles

Vol. 12 No. sp4 (2025): Recent Advances in Agriculture by Young Minds - III

Advances in vegetable biofortification: Strategies, impacts and future perspectives

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.11862
Submitted
19 September 2025
Published
26-11-2025

Abstract

Vegetables are a great source of vitamins and minerals, including sodium, iodine and phosphorus, as well as carbohydrates, proteins and fibre. Micronutrients such as iron, zinc, selenium, magnesium, calcium and iodine, along with vitamins like provitamin A and folate, are crucial components of the biofortification program. Biofortification addresses the hidden hunger of widespread deficiency of essential vitamins and minerals in human diets. It directly enhances the nutritional value of vegetables to combat malnutrition and improve public health, offering a sustainable and cost-effective solution compared to other interventions. In this review, we discussed three main methods employed for biofortification of staple crops, including genetic engineering, agronomic approach (using mineral fertilizer) and conventional breeding. These methods offer a great deal of promise to alleviate the deficiency of vitamins and micronutrients. Overall, this review highlights the importance of biofortifying vegetable crops for human nutrition.

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