Reference Number: 557
Year: 2010
Link: Link to original paper
Summary
Micronutrient malnutrition, particularly zinc and iron deficiency, afflicts over three billion people worldwide due to low dietary intake. In the current study, wild emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides), the progenitor of domesticated wheat, was tested for (1) genetic diversity in grain nutrient concentrations, (2) associations among grain nutrients and their relationships with plant productivity, and (3) the association of grain nutrients with the eco-geographical origin of wild emmer accessions.
Significance for a baker:
Wild emmer wheat contains particularly high levels of zinc, iron and protein that has been lost in the domestication of wheat. This study discusses possibilities for breeding to ensure the higher nutritional value of wheat, which will then be present in the bread you bake.
