Fruit set and plant regeneration in cassava following interspecific pollination with castor bean
The increasing demand for cassava for food and non-food uses in the tropics necessitates that its breeding for increased root productivity be made faster. Its characteristic long breeding cycle and heterozygous nature pose a major obstacle to its rapid genetic improvement. This study aimed at inter-pollinating cassava with castor bean with a purpose of inducing and regenerating cassava doubled haploids (DHs). The findings lay a foundation for future research aimed at induction of haploids in cassava.
Read more: http://tiny.cc/65zh9y
Bioengineered potato: Resistance to late blight disease and higher crop yields
Average potato yields in sub-Saharan Africa are four times lower than those in industrialized nations, mostly due to the effects of diseases, particularly late blight. This research demonstrates that the transfer from wild potato relatives of three resistance-conferring genes into a cultivated potato variety provides complete resistance to late blight for several seasons. Cultivation of this late blight resistant potato would increase family farm incomes by 40% and ensure the supply of fungicide-free potatoes to consumers.
Read more: http://tiny.cc/660h9y
Genetic variability, heritability and genetic gain for quantitative traits in South African sorghum genotypes
Sorghum is one of the most important cereal crops grown in the world. This study estimated the genetic variability, heritability and genetic gain of some agro-physiological traits of 98 sorghum accessions in South Africa. Greater magnitude of broad sense heritability coupled with higher genetic advance in traits studied provided the evidence that these were under the control of additive genetic effects indicating that selection in the germplasm should lead to a fast improvement of the traits.
Read more: http://tiny.cc/8cv17y