Programs

Plant Breeding

• Screen Germplasm
• Gene Discovery and Research
• Improve Crops
• Test, then Release New Varieties

Plant breeding is a cornerstone of the HarvestPlus strategy. Plant breeders seek to develop micronutrient-dense varieties of staple food crops that will improve nutritional status and perform well in farmer's fields.

Plant breeders screen germplasm for iron, zinc and provitamin A carotenoids (converted by the body to Vitamin A). Promising lines are then bred to develop micronutrient dense crops. These varieties must first be extensively tested in experiment stations and farmer fields in target countries over wide geographical areas and different farming and management systems. Breeders strive for high and stable expression of high micronutrient content into new biofortified varieties. Biotechnology can support traditional plant breeding efforts to increase nutrient density where conventional plant breeding will not work or will not reach nutrient-density goals. New biofortified varieties of staple food crops must be valued by farmers, satisfy consumer preferences and improve nutritional status of consumers. HarvestPlus is building capacity to breed micronutrients in crops, creating biofortification tools and establishing research and implementation networks.

Breeding activities include:

• Additional germplasm evaluation of materials with potential for short-term impact;
• Implementation of molecular markers for large-scale selection programs;
• Genetic and QTL analyses to determine loci involved in micronutrient content; and
• Development of varieties with high micronutrient concentration and superior agronomic traits, in collaboration with NARES and farmers' groups.

Breeding has been the strength of the CGIAR centers since their inception, as a logical extension of the gene banks that are held in the centers. For every crop listed in this project, significant success has been obtained in the areas of disease resistance, tolerance to abiotic stresses and/or yield potential. Productivity of several crops has been increased dramatically, and these objectives continue to be important as breeders look to the future.

Biotechnology

Biotechnology is research that seeks to identify and understand the underlying molecular and biochemical mechanisms of the genes and loci that affect the nutritional traits of a crop. Research results are applied to the development and testing of genomic/genetic/molecular-based solutions to micronutrient composition problems. This effort not only enables the development of micronutrient-improved transgenic crops, but also provides insight into marker-assisted selection strategies to enhance micronutrient levels in various crops.

Activities to be undertaken in this project area aim to:

• Leverage and integrate new methods in genomics, genetics, and molecular biology to identify and understand plant biosynthetic genes of nutritional importance, specifically those related to zinc, iron, and vitamin A;
  
• Demonstrate proof of concept nutritional enhancements by engineering genes involved in the biosynthesis of essential vitamins and accumulation of essential minerals;
  
• Analyze the consequences of proof of concept enhancements on nutrients and bioavailability;
  
• Transfer proven materials to partner breeding centers for implementation in Phase 1 and 2 crops;
  
• Assist with analysis of micronutrient composition and agronomic traits; and
  
• Aid breeders in identifying molecular markers to nutritionally important genes for incorporation into molecular breeding programs.

Research on Transgenic Crops

Breeding, dissemination, and impact activities, outlined in the ten-year plan, are focused on development of conventionally bred crops. No activities involving the release of nutritionally-improved transgenic crops to farmers and consumers are proposed at present. Research and development activities with respect to transgenic crops are confined to agricultural research centers and research laboratories. Transgenic methods hold great promise for improving the nutrient content of staple foods and speeding up the breeding process over what can be achieved using conventional methods. High social benefit and lower risk applications, such as the incorporation of desirable traits from crop wild relatives, will be favored throughout the program whenever transgenic methods are considered.

The biofortification challenge program will implement a wide range of technologies including germplasm characterization, breeding, and molecular marker assisted breeding and genetic transformation technologies. The mix and extent to which each of these technologies is used will vary by crop. The first phase of the project will mainly involve germplasm deployment of land races and breeding genotypes. Genetic transformation technologies will be used in this phase to better understand the targeted nutritional pathways (resulting in better screening) and to develop efficient genomic tools for marker assisted selection and breeding. In the second and third phases of the program, these technolgoes will be used for potential seed deployment by increasing the level of a trait beyond what is available in the gene pool and/or by providing traits not present in the gene pool.

All participating institutions have established strict regulations to develop and deploy genetically modified organisms consistent with the CGIAR policy. All institutions involved have well-established guidelines for biosafety related issues and will pursue rigorous scientific processes to ensure the safe use of transgenic plants when there is a high social benefit. Components of the project that involve genetically transformed plants will strictly adhere to international safety standards and the national regulations of the partner countries. As part of their research agenda, several institutions involved in the project are conducting gene flow, risk assessment project and food safety studies. Results from such studies will be incorporated during the implementation of the program. The Centers will distribute with caution and consultation/approval of civil society transgenic materials for experimental purposes with advanced informed consent only to countries where national biosafety legislations are in place.

Publications on Plant Breeding

Publications on Breeding For Nutrition

Publications on Biotechnology