This study assesses the nutritional quality of wheat grain, focusing on iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) content across major wheat-growing regions in Morocco. It examines how farmers’ practices, soil fertility, and growing conditions affect micronutrient concentrations. The insights will support the design of agronomic biofortification strategies to improve wheat quality and address micronutrient deficiencies in the Moroccan diet :

Research objectives/questions:

– How do farmers’ management practices impact the nutritional quality of wheat in major growing regions of Morocco?

– What is the spatial distribution of iron and zinc availability in Moroccan soils, and how does this affect wheat quality?

– How do different management practices and soil fertility conditions influence the iron and zinc content in wheat varieties across major wheat-growing regions of Morocco?

– What are the relationships between agronomic practices, wheat varieties, and the iron and zinc contents in wheat grain?

– What climate, soil, and management factors are essential for guiding agronomic biofortification efforts in wheat production?

More details about the project :

– Main collaborators: This project is implemented in collaboration with the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)

– Target cropping systems: Bread wheat under rainfed and irrigated systems

– Target regions: Rabat-Sale-Kenitra & Beni Mellal-Khenifra, Morocco