Zinc - An Indispensable Micronutrient

Availability of Zn to plant is hampered by its immobile nature and adverse soil conditions. Thus, Zn deficiency is observed even though high amount is available in soil. Root-shoot barrier, a major controller of zinc transport in plant is highly affected by changes in the anatomical structure of conducting tissue and adverse soil conditions like pH, clay content, calcium carbonate content, etc. Zn deficiency results in severe yield losses and in acute cases plant death. Zn deficiency in edible plant parts results in micronutrient malnutrition leading to stunted growth and improper sexual development in humans. To overcome this problem several strategies have been used to enrich Zn availability in edible plant parts, including nutrient management, biotechnological tools, and classical and molecular breeding approaches.