Biotechnology and Genetic Improvement

A member of CGIAR consortium www.iita.org

Biotechnology

and

Genetic Improvement

R4D Week 2015


Strategic Objectives:

1. Enhancing the management,

characterization, and use of

plant genetic resources

2. Enhancing the efficiency and

effectiveness of plant breeding

3. Efficient diagnosis and

monitoring of biological systems

Biotechnology Strategy

Cryo Bank


Genetic Improvement Strategy

Strategic Objectives

1.Increased yields of staple crops

2.Increased resilience of staple crops to biotic and abiotic

stresses

3.Increased nutrient density and suitability of staple crops to

new utilization pathways

4.Raised efficiency of breeding staple crops

5.Enhanced germplasm of staple crops and increased

potential of selected underutilized crops


• Management and utilization of genetic resources

• Application of tools and methods for genotyping and

phenotyping

• Transgenic approaches

• Data capture and management systems

• Strengthening partnerships and capacity building

• Deployment of knowledge and products

Enabling resources and technologies


Cassavabase:

A global open

access resource

All data available with Open Access with agreement to observe the

Toronto Protocol regarding use of unpublished data

Databases


Regional Cassava Breeders’

Meeting – West Africa and DRC


1. Integrated Genotyping Service and Support (IGSS) (BecA-

ILRI Hub)

2. Shared Industrial-Scale High-Throughput & Low cost

Genotyping Facility (ICRISAT )

3. Integrated Breeding Platform (including the Breeding

Management System)

4. Improving Breeding Program Effectiveness with the Breeding

Program assessment Tool (University of Queensland )

5. Genetic Gain Platform?

Other Initiatives


Crop Country No. of Varieties Released with Partners

2013 2014 2015

Cassava Liberia - 3 -

Nigeria - 3 -

DRC 6 - -

Sierra Leone - 2 -

Tanzania - - 4

Uganda - - 2

Cowpea Nigeria - - 2

Sierra Leone - - 2

Burkina Faso 2 - -

Swaziland - - 6

Tanzania 2 - 2

Maize Benin - - 6

Ghana - - 5

Mali 2 6 -

Nigeria 5 4 4

Soybean Nigeria - 2 -

Sierra Leone - - 4

Zambia - - 2


• Post-release

– Seed companies [maize]

– Community-based seed

production [cowpea, soybean,

maize]

– Outgrower schemes/

development agencies

– Bilateral projects [cassava

(5CP, Hplus, seed syst.

Nigeria), yam, cowpea, maize]


Sensitive & Robust Virus Diagnostic Tools

Developed Type Purpose Stage of development

Multiplex RT-PCR Simultaneous detection

of 3 RNA viruses

Completed

Direct Binding PCR Episomal yam

badnavirus detection

Validation

Antibodies for YMV,

YMMV and Badnavirus

ELISA, IC-PCR and

LFD based diagnostics

Validation

RT-LAMP and RPA On-site tool kit Validation & standardization

for on-site use

Single tube multiplex PCR RT-LAMP


1. Sampling yam young vines 2. In vitro introduction

Meristem excision, culture and plantlet re-growth (2 to 6 months)

Bulk propagation of meristem cultures by nodal cuttings

(2 - 3 months)

Tuber planting in field or screenhouse. Virus indexing and selection for in vitro induction

(1 to 3 months)

3. In vitro nodal cultures

Virus indexing

Virus indexing by multiplex RT-PCR on in vitro samples

(1 week)

Re-indexing for reconfirmation (2 to 6 months)

4. Acclimatization for re-indexing

Bulk propagation of virus-free plants by in vitro nodal cuttings or vine propagation

(2 to 4 months)

5. Selection of virus-free plants & bulking

Establishing clean seed stocks


Temporary Immersion Bioreactor

Aeroponic System

•Circumvents dormancy period

•Links to vine propagation

•Perennial growth habit

•Pre-basic and basic seed production

Rapid Propagation


• Crop breeding programs

• Phenotyping

– Stresses; GIS; Morphology; Nutritional & end-use quality

• Genotyping, Data Management & Mechanization

• Cross-cutting topics

– Private sector breeding; Delivery of products; Communication

• Satellite Meetings

– QTL, MAS, BMS

– Epigenetics and Gene Expression

– Breeding Values

Workshop on Genetic Improvement – Sept.


Genebank data and information management system Marimagne Tchamba

Recent advances in phenotyping advanced drought

tolerant and striga resistant maize genotypes for

tolerance to combined drought and heat stress

Silvestro Meseka

Regeneration and genetic transformation of yam Rajesh Manoharan

Towards molecular breeding in banana: challenges and

opportunities working with perennial polyploid crops

Allan Brown

Enhancing proVitamin A in cassava breeding using new

tools

Elizabeth Parkes

Presentations


Thank you

Science

Biotechnology and Genetic Improvement