The CGIAR and New Technologies
Context
In a world where 800 million people, living mostly in rural
areas, go hungry every day, food demand is set to double in
the next thirty years and arable land is limited, advances
in agriculture are critical if we are to reduce hunger and
promote growth and development in a socially acceptable and
environmentally sustainable way.
CGIAR resources are directed to germplasm improvement, germplasm collection, sustainable production, policy and enhancing national agricultural research systems (NARS).
Crop Improvement Research
The majority of the crop research undertaken by the CGIAR
Centers involves conventional plant breeding, a science-based
extension of the seed selection practiced by farmers for millennia.
For example, crop varieties observed to have high tolerance
to disease are crossed with varieties known to have high yields.
The desired outcome is a high yield, disease resistant variety.
In the past this process relied on close observation and a
great deal of trial and error.
New technology and Gene banks
Today, new techniques enable us to create gene maps, discover
precise information about the roles genes play and mark individual
genes. As a result, plants with desirable characteristics
can be bred much faster.
The starting point for crop improvement is typically a gene
bank. The CGIAR gene banks hold over 530,000 samples of wild
and domesticated crops in public trust. While originally the
gene banks held little more information than the name of the
crop variety and some basic characteristics, new technologies
are enabling crop scientists to catalogue the gene bank samples
- identifying the traits of each variety and identifying and
marking the genes responsible for key traits.
Crop scientists can now select a variety known to hold a
specific characteristic, mark the gene responsible for the
trait and cross it with another variety known to hold a second
desirable characteristic. The offspring of these plants are
then tested to determine if they hold the marked gene. Those
that do are selected for further tests and eventual field
planting. In this way, new knowledge dramatically increases
the speed by which successful cross breeding and selection can take place.
These techniques are simply smart breeding - traditional
breeding techniques made more efficient by new information
about genes and new technologies.
Genetic Modification
Where enhanced traditional breeding techniques have not been
able to solve a specific problem, such as improving the vitamin
content in rice, CGIAR supported crop scientists consider
that genetically modifying organisms through genetic transformation
can be a valuable option. Potential benefits and risks together
with the social and environmental implications of all new
technologies are rigorously assessed. The research Centers
offer advice to national partners on social and environmental
standards and biosafety options and all Center research takes
place within national legislation and guidelines.
As transgenics could offer important options for meeting
food demand and environmental challenges many scientists dedicated
to reducing hunger and creating wealth among poor farmers
consider such new technologies to be one part of the tool
box of possible solutions.
Currently about 7 percent of CGIAR research is dedicated
to exploring the solutions new technologies have to offer
and of that, approximately 3 percent is dedicated to the exploration
of genetically modified organisms.
Research Combining
Traditional Techniques and New Technologies
To date, the majority of breakthroughs achieved by Centers
have used conventional breeding techniques. For example, both
Quality Protein Maize (QPM) and New Rices For Africa (NERICAs)
are largely the product of conventional breeding. However,
more recently new technologies are accelerating these continuing
research programs. More efficient conversion of low protein
quality maize into QPM lines has been made possible by molecular
marker tools. In fact, new technologies are increasingly accelerating
crop improvement research across the CGIAR Centers. It is
estimated that marker assisted selection halved the costs
and time involved in developing bean varieties resistant to
golden mosaic virus in Latin America.
New techniques and new thinking are enabling scientists to
assist poor producers more effectively everyday.
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