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The idea is to start addressing some of the vitamin and mineral deficiencies we see in the world by enhancing nutrient levels in those crops says Yassir Islam head of communications for HarvestPlus which works to end malnutrition in the developing world. It becomes a food-based approach where youre using food coming off the farm to provide people with nutri- tion as opposed to giving them supplements which can be expen- sive to purchase and a challenge to distribute. Biofortification is being done with many other crops eaten every day in the developing world including rice wheat beans millet and sweet potato. Malnutrition might not be an issue for most people in the devel- oped world but Islam says poor dietary choices and bad eating habits are something that biofortifi- cation can potentially help alleviate. It definitely has applications globally depending on the need youre trying to address Islam says. Improving Health Enter Benefort broccoli. According to broccoli breeder Mero Monsanto saw a place for the unique product in the U.S. market on both the farmer and consumer level. Our RD teams work to develop seeds that make growing vegetables easier for farmers while also meeting the demands from everyone else in the produce chain including retailers food service and consumers he says. The same line of thinking is what inspired Purdue University agronomy professor Torbert Rocheford to bring a new kind of corn to market in the United States. He helped identify a set of genes that can be used to naturally boost the provitamin A content of corn kernels a finding that could help combat vitamin A deficiency in developing countries. Researchers found gene variations that can be selected to change nutritionally poor white lem most severely affects children in sub-Saharan Africa an area in which white corn which has minimal amounts of provitamin A carotenoids is a dietary mainstay. Although it has major implications for those in the developing world Rocheford says the crop is slowly catching on in the United States as well insufficient carotenoids might also contribute to macular degen- eration in the elderly a leading cause of blindness in older populations. Originally we were breeding it for Africa but then an organic farmer in Missouri found out about it and was interested Rocheford says. So I sent him some corn and hes growing it. He believes that if orange JUNE 2015 SEEDWORLD.COM 19 Relative percentages of glucoraphanin per serving of cruciferous vegetables including broccoli Each serving of Benefort broccoli naturally contains two to three times the phytonutrient glucoraphanin as compared to other leading commercial broccoli varieties grown under similar conditions. Cauliflower 1 Broccoli 100 Benefort Broccoli 270 corn into biofortified orange corn with high levels of provitamin A carotenoids substances that the human body can convert into vitamin A. Vitamin A plays key roles in eye health and the immune system as well as in the synthesis of certain hormones. Vitamin A deficiency causes blindness in 250000 to 500000 children every year half of whom die within a year of losing their eyesight according to the World Health Organization. The prob- Purdue University agronomy professor Torbert Rocheford helped identify a set of genes that can be used to naturally boost the provitamin A content of corn kernels a finding that could help combat vitamin A deficiency in developing countries. PHOTO PURDUE UNIVERSITY