CANBERRA, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Australian researchers found that treating wheat with a special type of fungi helps crops grow larger and boosts the grains' nutritional quality.
University of Adelaide researchers in South Australia said treating wheat with mycorrhizal fungi increases zinc and phosphorus levels without reducing yield or altering fertilizer use, according to a release from the university.
The study found that the fungus boosted nutrient uptake without raising phytic acid, an anti-nutrient that limits mineral absorption, and sometimes even lowers it, enhancing zinc and iron bioavailability.
This is crucial since zinc and iron deficiencies affect up to 30 percent and 60 percent of the global population, leading to serious health problems, said project leader Stephanie Watts-Fawkes of the University of Adelaide.
Published in Plants, People, Planet owned by Britain's New Phytologist Foundation, the findings suggested that fungal inoculation offers a sustainable way to improve global nutrition, with wheat ranking as the second most important crop after rice, and providing up to 17 percent of dietary zinc and iron. ■
