Iron (Fe) is an essential micronutrient for all living organisms, including humans, but it is not readily available. Consequently, iron (Fe) deficiency represents a serious threat to the health and development of human populations worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that nearly 3.7 billion people suffer from iron deficiency, of which 2 billion are anemic (WHO, 2007). Iron deficiency is more prevalent in South Asian countries (Zlotkin et al. 2004). In Bangladesh approximately half of children and 70% of women are anemic (Ahmed 2000). Bangladesh loses 2% of its gross domestic product due to iron deficiency (Ross and Horton 1998). An inadequate intake of Fe in the diet, in quantity and quality, is the main cause of Fe deficiency in developing countries. A diet consisting of poor sources of Fe is a major reason for inadequate Fe intake. Iron deficiency can be reduced by providing healthy foods, supplements, and food fortification (Haas et al. 2005), but poor families, especially from developing countries such as Bangladesh, cannot afford these strategies. Biofortification is defined as the process of improving food crops that are rich in bioavailable micronutrients (Bouis 2003). Biofortification with Fe in staple foods provides a cost-effective solution to alleviate Fe deficiency in target populations globally (Nagesh et al. 2012). Biofortification has been considered the “second green revolution”. The Bangladeshi diet is dominated (about 80%) by rice (Hels et al. 2003) and contains vegetables and lentils. Polished rice is a rich source of dietary energy but a poor source of vitamins and minerals. Lentils are a rich source of protein and numerous essential micronutrients (Fe, Zn, β-caro...... middle of paper...... and check for any chimeric origins. DNA sequences will be compared with those of the GenBank database using the BLASTN algorithm.6.Expected results and discussionThe correlation between the abundance and diversity of major taxon-specific groups of root-inhabiting iron-solubilizing bacteria will be determined for each variety and each soil type using culture-dependent methods correlate the relative abundance of iron-solubilizing bacteria in different soils (detected by PCR) and within lentil plant roots (detected by PCR).7. Statistical analysisThe normality of Data will be analyzed using histograms, boxplots and qq-plots. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) will be performed in the SAS statistical package to establish significant differences between treatments and their interactions. The means will be compared using Tukey's Post-hoc, in α=0.05.