BIO-FORTIFICATION

■ Biofortification in India & Madhuvan carrot :---

Fortification is the practice of deliberately increasing the content of an essential micronutrient, i.e. vitamins and minerals (including trace elements) in a food, so as to improve the nutritional quality of the food supply and provide a public health benefit with minimal risk to health.
Biofortification is the process by which the nutritional quality of food crops is improved through agronomic practices,  conventional plant breeding, or modern biotechnology.
Biofortification differs from conventional fortification in that biofortification aims to increase nutrient levels in crops during plant growth rather than through manual means during processing of the crops.
Biofortification may therefore present a way to reach populations where supplementation and conventional fortification activities may be difficult to implement and/or limited.
Examples of biofortification projects include:
  • ▪ iron-biofortification of rice, beans, sweet potato, cassava and legumes;
  • ▪ zinc-biofortification of wheat, rice, beans, sweet potato and maize;
  • ▪ provitamin A carotenoid-biofortification of sweet potato, maize and cassava; and
  • ▪ amino acid and protein-biofortification of sourghum and cassava.
■ Madhuvan Gajar :-----) 

In 1943, Vallabhhai found that a local carrot variety was profoundly used for fodder.

▪ He selectively cultivated this variety and sold this carrot in the market initially for the vegetable purpose at good price.

▪ During the early years of the development of this variety, he selected best plants for seed production and grew them in small area for domestic consumption as well as for marketing.Later on the demand for this carrot grew and he started cultivation on a large scale during 1950’s – 60’s.

▪ He also started distributing the seeds to other farmers in his village and adjoining areas during 1970’s. Since 1985, he started selling the seeds on large scale.

■ During Kharif 2016-2017, National Innovation Foundation
(NIF) – India conducted validation trials for this variety at Rajasthan Agricultural Research Institute (RARI), Jaipur. Madhuban Gajar carrot variety was found to possess a significantly higher root yield (74.2 t/ha) and plant biomass (275 gm per plant) as compared to check variety. Field trials were also successfully conducted in different states like Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The average yield was 40 – 50 t/ha.

■ What can be the use of a biofortified carrot variety ?

• Increased nutritional quantity through biofortification will further support India's National Nutrition Mission.

• Indian government launched the National Nutrition Mission (renamed as Poshan Abhiyan) in March 2018.Traditional variety  Low cost of seeds..

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