Advances in Genetic Enhancement of Nutritional Quality of Tropical Maize in West and Central Africa

Melaku Gedil (), Wende Mengesha, Oluyinka Ilesanmi and Abebe Menkir
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Melaku Gedil: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Oyo Road, PMB 5320, Ibadan 700223, Nigeria
Wende Mengesha: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Oyo Road, PMB 5320, Ibadan 700223, Nigeria
Oluyinka Ilesanmi: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Oyo Road, PMB 5320, Ibadan 700223, Nigeria
Abebe Menkir: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Oyo Road, PMB 5320, Ibadan 700223, Nigeria

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-15

Abstract: Micronutrient deficiencies are pervasive in the diets of millions of people in developing countries, calling for effective mitigation measures. The development of biofortified cultivars through breeding holds promise for sustainable and affordable solutions to combat micronutrient deficiencies. Breeding efforts in the past decade have resulted in dozens of biofortified open-pollinated varieties and hybrids adapted to diverse agroecological zones. Advances in genomics and molecular tools enabled rapid identification of maize cultivars enriched with essential micronutrients such as pro vitamin A (PVA), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn). Leveraging Multi-omics-driven discovery of the genetic factors underlying the vast array of nutritional traits is paramount to mainstreaming breeding for quality traits in the product profile. Molecular breeding schemes, and integrating emerging Omics tools at every stage of the breeding pipeline, are vital to enhancing genetic gain. The recent momentum in elucidating the metabolism of micronutrients should be expanded to novel breeding targets as well as to the simultaneous enhancement of nutritional qualities while curtailing anti-nutritional factors in staple food crops. Harnessing new technologies to establish comprehensive and integrated breeding approaches involving nutrigenomics, genome editing, and agronomic biofortification is crucial in tackling nutritional insecurity. This review highlights the prospect of integrating modern tools in hastening the genetic improvement of nutritionally enriched maize.

Keywords: West and Central Africa; biofortified maize; micronutrient; breeding; nutritional quality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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