Scientists suggest that biofortification programs should ensure nutrient-enhanced crops can still maintain their high iron levels under environmental stress. They discovered that edible crops, ranging from canola and rice to tomatoes, actively stop absorbing iron from the soil during drought. However, more field data is still needed to determine how this impacts overall nutrient levels in edible portions such as grains, seeds, roots, or fruits. The researchers from the University of Calgary (UCalgary), Canada, investigated how plants send out a “cry for help” when they are stressed by drought to recruit beneficial soil microbes like bacteria and fungi in their roots. They found that under drought stress, plants will dial down both their immune systems and their iron uptake machinery.
