Impact of micronutrients on food and nutritional security: A review

Soils of our agricultural farms are becoming deficient in micronutrients due to continuous cropping over the years and without supplementing the trace elements in majority of the cases. These deficiencies are not only limiting yields but also creeping into the consumers of food which is low in micronutrient density. That is why micronutrient application is now becoming increasingly important in agriculture. In this article we discuss the role of micronutrients, their deficiency symptoms, causes of deficiency, corrective majors and impact on crop yield and quality in terms of nutrient density in edible parts. This review suggests that rational use of fertilizers, supplying trace elements along with adaptation of good management practices like application of organic manures, use of soil amendments and proper water management will help in attaining higher yields, improve quality of produce and thus help both in food and nutritional security.