Improving Protein Density in Food Legumes Through Agronomic Interventions

Agronomic biofortification is the easiest and fastest way for biofortification of cereals and pulses with Fe, Zn or other micromineral nutrients especially in developing Asian and African countries, where these are considered as the staple food. Agronomic biofortification is the only way to reach the poorest of the poor rural masses, those who will never have money to buy mineral supplements nor can afford to improve the components of their diet by incorporating animal products. It is suggested by scientific evidences that biofortification is feasible technically and even it can be achievable without negotiating for agronomic productivity. Cost–benefit analyses that are predicted also do support biofortification as being imperative in the armamentarium for monitoring micronutrient deficiencies and its control. However, the pertinent challenges facing all of us are about the accessibility of biofortified crop in large scale with proven purity and quality standards and to get producers/consumers acceptance for such biofortified crops and increase their intake. With the inception of good seed production and utilisation systems, the development of markets and market-oriented products and creation of demand for these, the commercial exploitation of crops with nutrient fortification can be possible and achievable. Amongst different types of malnutrition, protein malnutrition is the foremost one as it plays the pivotal role in health and nutrition of both human and animals. Besides protein malnutrition, deficiencies due to vitamin A, iron and zinc do affect over half of the population of the world. Although ample progress has been achieved to control these deficiencies through food fortification and supplementation, yet renewed and vigorous approaches are needed, especially to reach a sizeable mass of rural poor. It is true especially for reaching the Millennium Development Goals (now, Sustainable Development Goals)that aims at reducing by at least two-thirds the under-five child mortality ratio and three-quarters the maternal mortality ratio by 2020. Therefore, biofortification of staple food crops including food legumes is a new public health approach to contain protein (and of course deficiencies of vitamin A, iron and zinc) in poor countries. This chapter gives a brief insight of the technology for improving protein density in food or seed legumes through agronomic interventions.