Enhancing Zinc Content in Potato Using Microbe Assisted Biofortification Technique
Main Article Content
Abstract
Introduction:
Aim
Zinc, the second most prevalent trace metal to iron in human body, is required in a variety of fundamental metabolic and physiological activities. We demonstrate that microbe-assisted biofortification is an effective strategy for increasing the zinc content of Solanum tuberosum L. (potato), a crop used to reduce dietary zinc deficiency globally. The scientific enquiry was aimed whether bio-inoculation with the zinc solubilizing bacterial consortium and zinc spray could effectively enhance tuber Zn concentration of potato along with increased vigor of plant.
Methodology
Potato plants received treatment with specific plant growth-promoting microorganisms, Bacillus altitudinis and Trichoderma flavus var. flavus, along with zinc. We measured the zinc content in the harvested tubers using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) according to standard trace mineral determination protocols.
Results
Microbe-assisted zinc biofortification significantly improved plant growth, biomass, yield, and tuber zinc concentration compared to untreated controls. Zinc levels increased from approximately 0.35% in non-biofortified potatoes to about 3.52%, representing a tenfold enhancement relative to USDA 2019 data.
Interpretation
The results demonstrate that microbe-assisted zinc biofortification is an effective, sustainable, and affordable strategy to improve the micronutrient content of potatoes. This approach has strong potential to combat hidden hunger, enhance nutritional security, and provide a scalable solution for populations reliant on potatoes as a dietary staple.