Micronutrients And Its Emerging Effects from Soil to Plants and Animal/Human Health- A Review

Abstract: Micronutrients play a key role in growth and development of plants, animals and humans. The three systems are interlinked with each other. Micronutrients namely, zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), boron (B), molybdenum (Mo), chlorine (Cl), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co) are essential for both plants and animals. Iodine (I), selenium (Si), fluorine (F) and chromium (Cr) are essential for human but not for plants, but absorbed by plant from soil and water and enter into the animals and humans through food chain. Micronutrient application has not only contributed in enhancing the food grain production but also helped in sustaining soil health and fortifying the country’s nutritional security. Food and fodder produced on the soils having poor trace element concentration, causes micronutrient malnutrition in animals and humans. Even though the levels of trace elements like Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, Mo, Se and Co in crops are sometimes sufficient for optimum yields but they are sub-optimal to meet the needs of livestock leading to their widespread deficiencies. Widespread nutritional deficiencies of vitamin A, Fe, Zn, and iodine affecting human health, disproportionately especially women and young children, have been reported. Soil-related deficiencies of trace elements such as Se, Cu, Fe and Zn are also implicated as casual factors for anaemia, zinc deficiency, etc. For correcting micronutrient malnutrition in animal and human, the strategies of micronutrient management should focus on enrichment of these elements in edible plant parts and making them bioavailable without compromising on the sustenance of crop production. Holistic approach is required to develop sustainable technologies to reduce micronutrient malnutrition by launching a mission mode programme on micronutrient research in soil-plant/animal/human continuum mode.