Biofortification in Cereals:Progress and Prospects

Abstract

Food security of the country has been improved due to green revolution and enhancement of cereal production. However, recent surveys showed 35.8% of children suffer from malnutrition in India. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research has taken lead for the biofortification of cereal crops based on earlier national and international research efforts, targeting the enhancement of nutrients in staple food crops. In this article, the significant progress made in rice, wheat, maize and millets for identification of genotypes, development, evaluation and release of the varieties with high nutrient contents and their bioavailability studies is discussed.