Biotechnology of Food Crops in... | Buy

Tropical crops such as cowpea, yam, plantain, and cassava are heavily underresearched but, in addition to rice, maize, wheat, and potato, are important as primary or secondary food staples in the developing countries. The modern tools of molecular and cellular technology offer the opportunity not only to make substantial gains in knowledge of these crops, but also they overcome some of the obstacles which presently restrain both the genetic improvement and the productivity of these crops in tropical farming systems. Increased nutritional value of these crops, reduced post-harvest perishability, and lower costs of production are some of the advantages taken from biotechnology. Engineered genetic resistance would also allow to drastically reduce employment of pesticides, which at present are expensive or unavailable for farmers in developing countries and may create environmental and health hazards.In this book experts present opportunities to improve the efficiency of plant breeding programs also taking into account the ethical and sociopolitical aspects of these technologies.

List of Contributors

x

The Contribution of Genetic Engineering to the Fight against Hunger in Developing Countries

K.M. Leisinger

Introduction

1

(1)

The Political Economy of Hunger

2

(5)

The Risks of Genetic Engineering in the Fight against Hunger

7

(8)

The Benefits of Genetic Engineering in the Fight against Hunger

15

(2)

Building Blocks for Food Security

17

(4)

Conclusion

21

(1)

References

22

(3)

Networking Biotechnology Solutions with Developing Countries: the Mission and Strategy of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications

A. F. Krattiger

Background: the Challenge

25

(1)

Creation of ISAAA: the Institutional Response

26

(1)

The Program

27

(2)

Biosafety Regulatory Development: a Special Case

29

(2)

The Strategy

31

(1)

The Organization

31

(1)

And Who Benefits?

32

(1)

References

33

(2)

Socioethical and Sociopolitical Reflections on the Application of Gene Technology in Developing Countries

35

(175)

H.-P. Schreiber

Gene Technology for Increased Rice Production in Developing Countries

A. Kloti

I. Potrykus

Introduction

39

(6)

Increasing Rice Production

45

(8)

The Quality of the Rice Grain

53

(2)

Conclusions

55

(1)

References

56

(5)

Biotechnology for Maize and Wheat Improvement in Developing Countries: a Need, a Reality, or a Dream?

D. A. Hoisington

Introduction

61

(1)

Maize as an Important Target for Genomics

62

(1)

Wheat and Its Relatives as Important Targets for Genomics

63

(1)

Approaches to Studying the Molecular Diversity of Maize and Wheat

63

(1)

Molecular Genetics of Maize

64

(2)

Molecular Markers in Wheat

66

(1)

Possibilities for Marker-Assisted Selection

67

(1)

Genetic-Engineering Achievements in Maize

68

(2)

Genetic Engineering in Wheat

70

(1)

Conclusion

71

(1)

References

72

(7)

Gene Transfer in Sugarcane

A. D. Arencibia

Introduction

79

(1)

Genetic Transformation

80

(7)

Agricultural Traits

87

(4)

Industrial Traits

91

(3)

Somaclonal Variation and Integration of Transgenic Plants into the Sugarcane Breeding Program

94

(1)

Risk Assessments

95

(1)

Conclusions

96

(1)

References

96

(9)

Gene Technology for Potato in Developing Countries

M. Ghislain

M. Bonierbale

R. Nelson

Introduction

105

(2)

Potato Production Constraints in Less-Developed countries

107

(2)

Biotechnology Challenges and Opportunities

109

(16)

Possible Limitations

125

(4)

Conclusions

129

(2)

References

131

(11)

Genetic Biotechnologies and Cassava-Based Development

A. M. Thro

M. Fregene

N. Taylor

K. C. J. J. M. Raemakers

J. Puonti-Kaerlas

C. Schopke

R. Visser

I. Potrykus

C. Fauquet

W. Roca

C. Hershey

Introduction: Cassava's Links to Development Objectives

142

(2)

The Cassava Biotechnology Network

144

(2)

Cassava Biotechnology Research Priorities Derived from Expressed Needs of Farmers

146

(3)

Cassava Biotechnology Research

149

(21)

Cassava Biotechnology Tools in Support of Farmer-Participatory Research

170

(2)

Implications of Cassava Biotechnology Research for the Second Green Revolution

172

(1)

Conclusion

173

(2)

References

175

(12)

Underresearched Tropical Food Crops: Cowpea, Banana and Plantain, and Yams

R. Asiedu

C. A. Fatokun

J. H. D. Mignouna

S. Y. C. Ng

F. M. Quin

D. R. Vuylsteke

Introduction

187

(1)

Cowpea

188

(6)

Banana and Plantain

194

(7)

Yams

201

(7)

Conclusion

208

(2)

References

210

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