Millions of people worldwide have an inadequate intake of selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn), and agronomic biofortification may minimise these problems. To evaluate the efficacy of combined foliar Se and Zn fertilisation in bread making wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), a two-year field experiment was established in southern Spain under semi-arid Mediterranean conditions, by following a split-split-plot design. The study year (2017/2018, 2018/2019) was considered as the main-plot factor, soil Zn application (50 kg Zn ha−1, nor Zn) as a subplot factor and foliar application (nor Se, 10 g Se ha−1, 8 kg Zn ha−1, 10 g Se ha−1 + 8 kg Zn ha−1) as a sub-subplot factor. The best treatment to increase both Zn and Se concentration in both straw, 12.3- and 2.7-fold respectively, and grain, 1.3- and 4.3-fold respectively, was the combined foliar application of Zn and Se. This combined Zn and Se application also increased on average the yield of grain, main product of this crop, by almost 7%. Therefore, bread-making wheat seems to be a very suitable crop to be used in biofortification programs with Zn and Se to alleviate their deficiency in both, people when using its grain and livestock when using its straw.

Agronomic zinc (Zn) biofortification of crops could help to alleviate dietary Zn deficiency, which is likely to affect more than one billion people worldwide. To evaluate the efficiency of agronomic Zn biofortification of broccoli, four application treatments were tested: no Zn application (control); soil application of 5 mg/kg ZnSO₄·7 H₂O (soil); two sprays (15 mL/pot each) of 0.25% (w/v) ZnSO₄·7 H₂O (foliar); and soil + foliar combination. Soil Zn application increased Zn-DTPA (diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid) concentration by 3.7-times but did not affect plant growth or plant Zn concentration. Foliar Zn application increased stem + leaves and floret Zn concentration by 78 and 23 mg Zn/kg, respectively, with good bioavailability based on phytic acid concentration. Boiling decreased mineral concentration by 19%, but increased bioavailability by decreasing the phytic acid concentration. The entire broccoli could constitute a good nutritional source for animals and humans. An intake of 100 g boiled florets treated with the foliar treatment will cover about 36% of recommended dietary intake (RDI) of Zn, together with 30% of Ca, 94% of K, 32% of Mg, 6% of Na, 55% of P, 60% of S, 10% of Cu, 22% of Fe, 43% of Mn, and 35% of Se RDIs.

To evaluate if the combined foliar application of nitrogen (N) and zinc (Zn) in broccoli improves the efficiency of the single Zn biofortification, five treatments were tested: (i) control; (ii) one Zn application at the beginning of flowering (0.5M1); (iii) combined 0.5M1 with N application (0.5M1N); (iv) two Zn applications, one at the beginning of the flowering and other after two weeks (0.25 + 0.25) and (v) combined 0.25 + 0.25 with N (0.25N + 0.25N). The Parthenon cultivar showed a good concentration of Ca, Fe, Mg, and Zn, with good bioavailability and glucosinolates, mainly in the florets, and high antioxidant activity and total phenols, mainly in the leaves, showing their potential not only as regards to human consumption, but also for the use of their by-products. All the studied treatments increased floret growth (19%), antioxidant capacity and total phenol content, not affecting Ca, Fe, and Mg concentrations. Glucosinolate content was mostly independent from the studied treatments, decreasing slightly in terms of glucoiberin and the Zn concentration in the florets increased in >50 mg Zn kg−1 in the split treatments and ~40 mg Zn kg−1 when the application was unique, with excellent bioavailability, measured as PA:Zn ratio. Therefore, 0.25 + 0.25 and 0.25N + 0.25N applications have been confirmed as the applications that improve more both growth and accumulation of Zn and biocompounds in broccoli.

Agronomic biofortification can be used to alleviate the deficient intake of selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) by livestock. These two essential micronutrients for human and animals play an important role in many physiological functions and biological processes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the suitability of forage peas, crop with an increasing importance as plant protein source, to be biofortified with a combined treatment of Zn (as ZnSO 4-7H 2 O) and Se (as Na 2 SeO 4). A 2-year field experiment was established in southern Spain under semiarid Mediterranean conditions, by following a split-split-plot design. The study year (2017/2018, 2018/2019) was considered the main-plot factor, soil Zn application (50 kg Zn ha −1 , nil Zn) as a subplot factor, and foliar application (nil, 10 g Se ha −1 , 8 kg Zn ha −1 , 10 g Se ha −1 + 8 kg Zn ha −1) as a sub-subplot factor. The combined application of 50-kg soil Zn ha −1 and the foliar application of 10 g Se ha −1 + 8 kg Zn ha −1 was the most effective treatment to increase the concentration in forage of Zn and Se, 4-fold and 5-fold, respectively, as well as the Zn bioavailability, forage yield (close to 30%), and crude protein (~8%). Thus, forage peas could be considered a very suitable crop to be included in biofortification programs under Mediterranean conditions with Zn and Se as target minerals.

Millions of people have Zn-deficient diets, so Zn-biofortified crops could prevent such deficiency. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of agronomic Zn biofortification of broccolini – a new hybrid crop variety derived from a cross between kalian cabbage and broccoli. Plants were grown in pots using a Zn deficient soil. Four fertiliser treatments were tested: (1) control; (2) soil application of 5 mg ZnSO4•7H2O kg–1 soil; (3) foliar application at the early flowering stage of 0.5% (w/v) ZnSO4•7H2O; (4) combined soil and foliar treatments. Florets were harvested in four sequential harvests. There was a decrease in both growth and leaf composition of Zn, Ca, Fe and Mg. Soil Zn application increased floret production. There were increases in the Zn concentration stem+leaves and florets of 12- and 2.5-fold in foliar and soil+foliar treatments respectively. PA:Zn molar ratios decreased under both foliar and soil+foliar treatments. Boiling reduced Zn concentration by 40%, along with a decrease of other mineral nutrients. A soil+foliar treatment can increase both plant growth and Zn concentration in broccolini, and boiled 100 g portion of biofortified florets fertilised at rates in this study would deliver ~49 mg Zn, a 46% increase than in the non-biofortified broccolini.