Scientists Release Disease Free Sweet Potato Varieties
September 24, 2010| |
Uganda farmers already have the advantage of planting disease free varieties of sweet potatoes. The new sweet potato varieties with weevil and virus resistance were developed and released by crop scientists of the National Crop Resources Research Institute (NACRRI). Scientists continue to develop these varieties through conventional breeding, tissue culture and modern biotechnology techniques. Aside from acquiring disease resistance, they are also improving the nutritional quality of both fresh and dry matter by developing varieties that contain vitamin A. Various indigenous sweet potato species and species coming from the International Potato Center in Peru are being used.
"We usually obtain local collections and keep them in the green house where the crossing of varieties is conducted. When we receive those varieties from Peru, we undergo the same process of crossing them with the indigenous ones. So far we have released 20 varieties between the year 1996 - 2010," said Charles Niringiye, sweet potato agronomist of NACRRI.
The aim of this research program is to improve food security and livelihood of the rural families in Sub-Saharan Africa including Uganda.
Read the rest of the story at http://allafrica.com/stories/201009150472.html.
| |
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
News from Around the World
- Governments Draft Aichi Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing
- Global Initiative to Preserve Yam Biodiversity
- DuPont Leader: Agriculture is a Key Driver to Meet UN MDG
- Strengthening Capacity to Implement Biosafety Protocol in Africa
- COMESA Undertakes National Consultations on Draft Biosafety Guidelines
- SABIMA Stewardship Awareness Creation Workshop in Ghana
- Scientists Release Disease Free Sweet Potato Varieties
- USDA Scientists Breed Healthier Soybean Lines
- Purdue Gets Nearly $1.6 M for Biofuels Crop Research
- Researchers Work Together to Battle Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus
- Monsanto and Illumina Reach Key Milestones in Cotton Genome Sequencing
- Swaminathan Foundation Lauds Rural Knowledge Movement in India
- Indian Scientists Develop Protein Rich GM Potato
- Inter-Academy Report Endorses Commercial Approval of Bt Brinjal
- Chinese Scientists and Educators Dialogue on GM
- Australia OKs GM Crops in Two States
- Asian Preparatory Workshop on COP/MOP 5 in Hanoi
- Vietnam's Focus on Coping with Climate Change
- UK Ministers Order Temporary Halt to GM Dialogue Project
- Fighting to Save the 'Tree of Life'
- Human Medicine from Moss
-
Research Highlights
- Phosphorus and Moderate Climatic Changes Do Not Affect Genome Size, Study Says
- Molecular Mapping of Leaf Rust Resistance Gene LrBi16 in Chinese Wheat Cultivar Bimai 16
- Bt Protein Vip3A Does Not Affect Non-target Organisms
-
Announcements
- MSSRF & Telecenter Offer Certificate Course on Telecentre Management
- Third South Africa – EU Science Summit in Brussels, Belgium
- Genome Informatics Workshop in Hangzhou, China
-
Resources
- JRC Publication
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (April 17, 2024)
- Gene Editing Supplement (April 10, 2024)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet