Review of biotechnological approaches to bio-enrichment of Triticum aestivum L.

“Hidden hunger” (prolonged micronutrient deficiency in human nutrition) is a global problem affecting a third of the world's population. Optimizing the nutrition of the population is a priority task in many countries around the world. To solve this problem, an effective strategy can be applied - biofortification, which is the process of increasing the content of bioavailable trace elements in agricultural crops before harvest. The purpose of the study is to analyze modern achievements in the field of increasing the biological value of wheat grain. An analysis of modern new sources has shown that there are several trips to biofortification. These include genetic transformation, as well as agronomic methods. Each method has a number of advantages and disadvantages. Genetic approaches are effective and cost-effective, but they face public distrust. Agronomic biofortification is actively used in agricultural practice and allows not only to enrich crops with essential micro- and macronutrients, but also to increase crop yields. However, this method is associated with high economic costs, as well as a negative impact on the environment. The most promising method is bio-enrichment of wheat with the help of microorganisms. They are able to increase the availability of biogenic elements for plants due to the release of various metabolites including organic acids, phytohormones and siderophores. In addition, they are able to influence the plant's transport systems by enhancing the absorption of certain elements. Microbial biofortification is an ecologically safe and economically effective method of enriching wheat with trace elements to combat “hidden hunger”.