Genotypic and breeding potential to improve mineral content of vegetable crops: an overview

Abstract

Vegetables are one of the best sources of minerals, particularly for vegetarians and low-resource people. With an increasing level of malnutrition in the human population, it is necessary to improve mineral concentrations in high-yielding cultivars across vegetable species. This review attempts to describe the understanding of genotypic and breeding potential, and to explore the possibility of minimizing biological trade-off between mineral concentration and yield using genetic resources and breeding approaches. There are, by and large, inverse associations between yield and mineral concentration; and the magnitude of decline is severe with heterosis breeding. Few genotypes possess exceptionally high mineral concentration, with the ability to inherit those levels. It is important that crop and mineral-specific breeding strategies are followed, especially recurrent selection and poly-crossing, based on genetic architecture. Using novel germplasm, unique parental combinations, appropriate breeding and evaluation of large populations would make it possible to improve mineral concentration of modern cultivars without impairing yield.