International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
Abstract
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is among the top ten crops
that feed the world (Goldschein 2011). It is one of the
cheapest sources of energy and micronutrients; and a vast
majority of population in Africa and central India depend
on sorghum for their dietary energy and micronutrient
requirement (Parthasarathy Rao et al.). Micronutrient
malnutrition, primarily the result of diets poor in bioavailable
vitamins and minerals, causes blindness and
anemia (even death) in more than half of the world’s
population, especially among women of reproductive
age, pregnant and lactating women and pre-school
children (Underwood 2000, Sharma 2003, Welch and
Graham 2004); and efforts are being made to provide
fortified foods to vulnerable groups of the society.
Biofortification, where possible, is the most costeffective
and sustainable solution for tackling
micronutrient deficiencies as intake of micronutrients is
on a continuing basis with no..
