Authors
Muneta Grace Manzeke-Kangara, Edward JM Joy, R Murray Lark, Sally Redfern, Ans Eilander, Martin R Broadley
Publication date
2023/7/12
Source
Frontiers in Nutrition
Volume
10
Pages
1078667
Publisher
Frontiers
Description
Regenerative Agriculture (RA) is used to describe nature-based agronomic approaches that aim to build soil health and crop resilience, minimize negative environmental outcomes, and improve farmer livelihoods however, there remains no universally accepted definition of the term. A benefit that is increasingly attributed to crops grown under RA practices is improved nutritional content, but the evidence and context is not clear. A scoping review of recent literature (Web of Science, 2000–2021) was carried out to assess the evidence that RA approaches improve crop micronutrient quality. Papers included covered combinations of agronomic approaches that could be defined as Regenerative: “Organic Inputs” including composts and manures, cover crops, crop rotations, crop residues and biochars; “Reduced Tillage”, “Intercropping”, “Biostimulants” e.g. arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; plant growth promoting bacteria, and “Irrigation”, typically deficit-irrigation and alternate wetting and drying. The crop types reviewed were predetermined covering common sources of food and included: Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), Rice (Oryza sativa L.), Maize (Zea mays L.), Pulses (Fabaceae), Alliums (Allium spp.), and “other” crop types (30 types). This scoping review supports a potential role for RA approaches in increasing the concentrations of micronutrients in the edible portions of several crop types under specific practices. Eighty-seven percent of studies included on rice under increased “organic inputs” showed significant increases in zinc (Zn) content. Vitamin C was the most assessed nutrient in tomatoes and increased …
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