
Biofortify Your Greens: Iodine, Selenium & Hydroponic Nutrition
From Hydroponics Daily by Eutrema Ltd
December 30, 2025 · 7 min · Episode 372
About this episode
Dr. Russell Sharp discusses the biofortification of crops using hydroponic methods and the associated benefits and risks.
Host Dr. Russell Sharp of Hydroponics Daily explains how hydroponic fertigation and his product Gold Leaf (Liquid Gold in the UK) can be used to biofortify edible crops with nutrients like iodine, selenium, iron, zinc and silicon. The episode covers practical benefits, higher micronutrient content, potential shelf-life and quality improvements, and serious cautions, especially selenium toxicity, stressing professional handling and precise dosing. Listeners learn why hydroponics makes targeted nutrient enrichment easier than soil, which crops have been shown to respond (lettuce, basil), and how biofortification might impact human nutrition and future dietary needs. https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/fertiliser/liquid-gold-unique-complete-fertiliser/ Howarth E. Bouis — International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) / HarvestPlus Amy Saltzman — HarvestPlus Wolfgang H. Pfeiffer — HarvestPlus / CGIAR J.V. Meenakshi — IFPRI Ekin Birol — IFPRI / HarvestPlus Edward A. Boy — HarvestPlus Dean A. Boy — HarvestPlus Daniel Asare-Marfo — IFPRI / HarvestPlus Erick Boy — HarvestPlus Jan W. Low — International Potato Center (CIP) Robert O.M. Mwanga — International Potato Center (CIP) Maria I…
People in this episode
Host: Dr. Russell Sharp
Guests: Howarth E. Bouis, Amy Saltzman, Wolfgang H. Pfeiffer, J.V. Meenakshi, Ekin Birol, Edward A. Boy, Dean A. Boy, Daniel Asare-Marfo, Erick Boy, Jan W. Low, Robert O.M. Mwanga, Maria I. Andrade, Hugo Campos, Graham Thiele, Marcin G. Wirth, Ines Slamet-Loedin, B.P. Mallikarjuna Swamy
Topics covered
- hydroponics
- biofortification
- nutrient enrichment
- crop nutrition
- selenium toxicity
- fertigation
Keywords
- iodine
- selenium
- iron
- zinc
- silicon
- hydroponic nutrition
- crop quality
- shelf-life
- fertigation
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), HarvestPlus, CGIAR, International Potato Center (CIP), ETH Zürich, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
Products: Gold Leaf, Liquid Gold
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