Micronutrient Density and Stability in West African Pearl Millet—Potential for Biofortification

Abstract

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] is one of the most important cereals in West and Central Africa (WCA). Human populations in WCA are strongly affected by micronutrient deficiencies. Biofortification, the development of pearl millet varieties with enhanced micronutrient levels, is recognized as a suitable approach to reducing this widespread health problem. To assess the potential of biofortification of WCA pearl millet germplasm, we studied quantitative‐genetic parameters of eight mineral densities in whole and decorticated grains, their stability over environments, and the correlations among minerals and agromorphological traits. The study included 72 WCA pearl millet genotypes grown in three environments in Niger, contrasting in soil fertilization. Significant genotypic effects, moderate estimates of heritability, and genetic variation for mineral densities, especially for Fe and Zn, indicate a high potential for biofortification of WCA pearl millet. However, screening of additional landraces or introgression of favorable alleles from highly nutrient‐dense Indian germplasm could expedite achievement of higher densities. Genotype‐by‐environment interaction effects were significant for Fe and Zn grain densities, showing the importance of multienvironmental evaluation for identifying stable genotypes. Identified genotypes with relatively stable Fe and Zn grain densities appear suitable for use in future WCA pearl millet biofortification breeding programs.

Characterization of West and Central African accessions from a pearl millet reference collection for agro-morphological traits and Striga resistance

“…Significant genetic variation regarding phosphorus efficiency related traits was found among 46 landraces and 54 improved open pollinated varieties under phosphorus-fertilized and phosphorus deficiency conditions (Gemenet et al, 2015b). Large variability for numerous agro-morphological traits was also reported for pearl millet by Gemenet et al (2014Gemenet et al ( , 2015a, Haussmann et al (2007), Pucher et al (2014) and Upadhyaya et al (2011).…”

Progress update: Crop development of biofortified staple food crops under HarvestPlus

“…The WCA region has the largest area under millets in Africa, of which more than 90% is pearl millet. Studies of pearl millet landraces and other locally adapted materials from Niger and Sudan showed promising ranges of mineral density [75,76,77]. The most promising iron pearl millet OPVs are currently being tested on-farm at more than 30 locations across five countries in WCA.…”

Limits to the Biofortification of Leafy Brassicas with Zinc

“…Inorganic fertilisers are often preferred because of their consistent composition; foliar applications are most effective where the phytoavailability of Zn decreases rapidly when applied to the soil [1,5]. Recent biofortification efforts have focused largely on developing germplasm and agronomic strategies to increase Zn concentrations in staple crops including cereals, pulses, cassava and potatoes, and Zn concentrations approaching 0.02-0.10 mg g −1 dry weight (DW), depending upon the crop, have been achieved [1,6,9,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. However, greater Zn concentrations can be achieved in leafy vegetables than in fruits, seeds or tubers because Zn transport in the phloem limits Zn accumulation in the latter tissues [13].…”