How iron levels in maize have changed over 2 000 years

There is no consensus among nutritional and chemical scientists on the changes in levels of micronutrients such as iron, zinc, copper and manganese in grain crops. The unequal conditions of the experiments, difficult comparisons, discrepancies in statistical methods, and the lack of historical data cause these contradictory positions.

The controversy deepens when it comes to the accumulation of iron in maize, as the element is quite variable in modern cultivars. Moreover, despite the nutritional importance of maize, with annual global production standing at more than a billion tons in 2021/22, there are limited studies on the physiological changes associated with the absence or presence of micronutrients during the history of the maize production.

MODIFYING MAIZE IN THE ATACAMA DESERT

Intensive agriculture for thousands of years among prehispanic agricultural communities in Tarapacá in the Atacama