Recently, the Prime Minister of India released 109 high yielding, climate resilient and biofortified varieties of crops at India Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi.
Biofortified Crops
Definition: Biofortified crops are developed through conventional breeding or genetic modification to enhance their nutrient content.
Objective: The aim is to create crops that are naturally rich in essential micronutrients, offering higher levels of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
Importance: These crops play a crucial role in combating malnutrition, targeting vulnerable populations, and improving climate resilience.
Some Biofortified Crop Varieties Developed in India: 87 biofortified cultivars in 16 crops. These include zinc-enriched rice, protein and iron-rich wheat, lysine and tryptophan-enhanced maize, and calcium, iron, and zinc-rich finger millet varieties.
India’s Biofortification Efforts
oField Crops: The released field crops include seeds for cereals, millets, forage crops, oilseeds, pulses, sugarcane, cotton, fiber crops, and other potential crops.
oHorticultural Crops: The horticultural crop releases cover various fruits, vegetables, plantation crops, tuber crops, spices, flowers, and medicinal crops
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