Biotechnology of Food Crops in Developing Countries

by T. Hohn (Editor), K.M. Leisinger (Editor)

Overview

Recent advances in gene technology, plant transformation, and the growing knowledge of DNA sequences of plants as well as of their most important parasites and symbionts offer many interesting prospects for the breeding of new crop varieties. This was not only recognized by the major seed companies, but also by the governments of developing countries and by worldwide foundations supporting their agriculture. The know-how gained by the seed companies on crops important for the agricultural industry in developed countries could easily be provided for free to the international and national organizations dedicated to development of crops important in the third world. Results obtained worldwide become easily available to everybody through the scientific literature. Likewise, agricultural research in, e.g., the USA or Europe profits from the natural plant gene pool available in the third world. All this definitely provides for the possibility of fast change, new prosperity and security of food supply in the whole world, if properly applied. The fast development also asks for ethical and sociopolitical considerations, whereby not doing the right can be as much a mistake as doing the wrong.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783709173169
Publisher:	Springer Vienna
Publication date:	10/04/2012
Series:	Plant Gene Research
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1999
Pages:	227
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.02(d)

Table of Contents

The Contribution of Genetic Engineering to the Fight against Hunger in Developing Countries.- I. Introduction.- II. The Political Economy of Hunger.- III. The Risks of Genetic Engineering in the Fight against Hunger.- IV. The Benefits of Genetic Engineering in the Fight against Hunger.- V. Building Blocks for Food Security.- VI. Conclusion.- VIL References.- Networking Biotechnology Solutions with Developing Countries: the Mission and Strategy of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications.- I. Background: the Challenge.- II. Creation of ISAAA: the Institutional Response.- III. The Program.- IV Biosafety Regulatory Development: a Special Case.- V. The Strategy.- VI. The Organization.- VII And Who Benefits?.- VIII. References.- Socioethical and Sociopolitical Reflections on the Application of Gene Technology in Developing Countries.- Gene Technology for Increased Rice Production in Developing Countries.- I. Introduction.- II. Increasing Rice Production.- III. The Quality of the Rice Grain.- IV. Conclusions.- V. References.- Biotechnology for Maize and Wheat Improvement in Developing Countries: a Need, a Reality, or a Dream?.- I. Introduction.- II. Maize as an Important Target for Genomics.- III. Wheat and Its Relatives as Important Targets for Genomics.- IV. Approaches to Studying the Molecular Diversity of Maize and Wheat.- V. Molecular Genetics of Maize.- VI. Molecular Markers in Wheat.- VII. Possibilities for Marker-Assisted Selection.- VIII. Genetic-Engineering Achievements in Maize.- IX. Genetic Engineering in Wheat.- X. Conclusion.- XI. References.- Gene Transfer in Sugarcane.- I. Introduction.- II. Genetic Transformation.- III. Agricultural Traits.- IV. Industrial Traits.- V. Somaclonal Variation and Integration of Transgenic Plantsinto the Sugarcane Breeding Program.- VI. Risk Assessments.- VII. Conclusions.- VIII. References.- Gene Technology for Potato in Developing Countries.- I. Introduction.- II. Potato Production Constraints in Less-Developed countries.- III. Biotechnology Challenges and Opportunities.- IV. Possible Limitations.- V. Conclusions.- VI. References.- Genetic Biotechnologies and Cassava-Based Development.- I. Introduction: Cassava’s Links to Development Objectives.- II. The Cassava Biotechnology Network.- III. Cassava Biotechnology Research Priorities Derived from Expressed Needs of Farmers.- IV. Cassava Biotechnology Research.- V. Cassava Biotechnology Tools in Support of Farmer-Participatory Research.- VI. Implications of Cassava Biotechnology Research for the Second Green Revolution.- VII. Conclusion.- VIII. References.- Underresearched Tropical Food Crops: Cowpea, Banana and Plantain, and Yams.- I. Introduction.- II. Cowpea.- III. Banana and Plantain.- IV. Yams.- V. Conclusion.- VI. References.

Editorial Reviews

"... As the chapters are written by most recognised experts of their respective fields excellent overviews on the recent level of gene technology applied to food crops can be obtained easily. A book for everyone really interested in the application of gene technology to plants, not only in developing countries !" Lebensmittel und Biotechnologie "This book achieves a good balance of background scientific information on food crops in developing countries and information on the social environment which has given these crops their importance to a particular society ... It is a strength of this book that the scientific chapters also attempt to cover the socio-political aspects ..." BioTeCH forum "The first chapters of the book discuss the ethical and socio-political aspects of crop improvement ... It is a strength of this book that the scientific chapters also attempt to cover the socio-political aspects ... presented in the early chapters. For most of the crops discussed ... the analysis of the science is accompanied by a discussion on risk assessment, biosafety and programs for farmer participation in defining goals and priorities of research programs." BIO WORLD

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