BIOFORTIFICATION IN POTATOES:A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Crop biofortification has emerged as a powerful tool to combat micronutrient malnutrition. It is vital to address the issue of hidden hunger in light of the expanding global population. Across the world, biofortification is a workable, economical, and sustainable way to meet the nutritional needs of the weaker segments of society. Malnutrition, specifically hidden hunger, is an international phenomenon. Individuals with mineral deficits who are unable to afford a diversified diet or dietary supplements may benefit from biofortified variants. To satisfy the nutritional requirements, an integrated approach incorporating breeding, biotechnology, and agronomy would be implemented. Unlike dietary diversification, nutritional supplementation, and fortification, biofortification requires a one-time investment for the development of biofortified varieties, with recurring costs comparable to those of any crop variety now in use. The potato crop responds well to agronomic techniques, but maximising the benefits of these techniques requires knowledge and understanding. Potato biofortification can also be facilitated by knowledge of the genetic basis of the micronutrient concentrations in potato tubers. Potato germplasm has a broad range of genetic variability for mineral concentration, which can be used in crop breeding to create potato cultivars that are high in nutrients. Though conventional breeding takes a lot of time, more precise breeding strategies can be designed to improve the nutritional components of potatoes with the use of the latest tools like DNA free gene editing.