Background
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Banana important staple for millions in Uganda
and East Africa
Grown by mainly resource poor farmers for
subsistence
Average banana consumption is 243 kg/cap./year
Production in Uganda suffers several pest and
disease constraints
• Diseases
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Black Sigatoka (Mycosphaerella fijiensis), Banana Bacterial
Wilt (Xanthomonas campestris), Fusarium wilt (Fusarium
oxysporum) , BSV
• Pests
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Banana Weevil (Cosmopolites sordidus) and parasitic
nematodes (Radopholus similis)
The ABSPII project
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Objectives
• To develop Transgenic East African Highland
Banana with resistance to Black sigatoka and
parasitic nematodes
• Develop a centre of excellence in crop
biotechnology in Uganda
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Activities
• Construction of Bio-containment facility
• Field testing of transgenic bananas developed at
Katholic University of Leuven, Belgium
• Improving EAHB embryogenic cell suspensions
• Development of EAHB transformation system
• Screening transgenic banana developed at NARO
• Training and capacity building
First CFT of GM banana in Africa
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Field Efficacy of chitinase gene against Black sigatoka
28 events, 1200 plants planted on 30th Nov. 2007
Trial effectively challenged with sigatoka disease
through natural infestation
Data collection ongoing
Capacity building in Biotechnology
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Laboratories
• Molecular biology
• Transformation
• Tissue culture
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Staff Training
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PhD Scientists – 3
PhD students - 5
MSc. students – 7
BSc/Dip Assistants and technicians - 8
Virus resistance technologies
continue to grow
Pathogen Derived Resistance
Protein Mediated Resistance
Coat Protein Mediated Resistance
Replicase Mediated Resistance
Movement Protein Mediated Resistance
RNA-mediated resistance
sRNAs that target vRNAs for degradation
Non-Pathogen, Protein Mediated Resistance
Transcription regulators: TFs, and sZFPs
DNA binding proteins
Interferon-like strategies; ds-RNA degrading enzymes
Translation initiation factors/co-factors
Improving the Human Condition through Plant Science
Virus Resistant Crops Commercialized
to Date:
• Papaya: resistance to PRSV, developed in public
sector
• Squash: resistance to potyviruses, developed in
private sector
• Plum: resistance to ‘Sharka’ disease: PPV, USDA
• Tomato, sweet peppers, cucumbers: resistant to
different viruses, developed and released in China
in mid-’90s.
• Nothing released yet in developing economies
Improving the Human Condition through Plant Science
Production of transgenic groundnut with
resistance to tobacco streak ilarvirus
A collaborative Project:
R.N. Beachy/DVR Reddy
K.K. Sharma, ICRISAT,
Hyderabad, India
Hindu; SEPT, 8,2000
Deccan Chronicle: Aug, 12, 2001
Deccan Chronicle: May, 16, 2001
The New Indian Express: Sept, 14,2000
History of TSV in India
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First observed in 1996 in sunflower.
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A disease epidemic occurred in groundnut during Kharif 2004 in
Ananthapur, AP; >10 mil farmers affected
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Symptoms were confused to those caused by Tospoviruses (PBNV)
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The occurrence of TSV
2000 from 3 independent
MAHYCO & IARI)
confirmed in the year
laboratories (ICRISAT,
TSV on Other Crops
sunflower
Marigold
Resistance To Tomato
Spotted Wilt Virus in
tobacco
AgriBioInstitute
University of Sofia,
Bulgaria
Alternative:
insecticides to control
insect vector
Resistance to Bean Golden Mosaic Geminivirus in Brazil; EMBRAPA, Aragio et al
Disease is white-fly borne, controlled in part by insecticides