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Field resistance of transgenic plantain to nematodes has potential for future African food security
Abstract/Description
Plant parasitic nematodes impose losses of up to 70% on plantains and cooking bananas in Africa.
Application of nematicides is inappropriate and resistant cultivars are unavailable. Where grown, demand
for plantain is more than for other staple crops. Confined field testing demonstrated that transgenic
expression of a biosafe, anti-feedant cysteine proteinase inhibitor and an anti-root invasion, non-lethal
synthetic peptide confers resistance to plantain against the key nematode pests Radopholus similis and
Helicotylenchus multicinctus. The best peptide transgenic line showed improved agronomic performance
relative to non-transgenic controls and provided about 99% nematode resistance at harvest of the mother
crop. Its yield was about 186% in comparison with the nematode challenged control non-transgenic plants
based on larger bunches and diminished plant toppling in storms, due to less root damage. This is strong
evidence for utilizing this resistance to support the future food security of 70 million, mainly poor Africans
that depend upon plantain as a staple food.
Multi standard citation
Permanent link to this item
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12478/933Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep08127