Transgenic vegetable crops: progress, potential and prospects

Abstract

Vegetables are considered essential for well-balanced diets and are grown worldwide, on large and small farms, on good and marginal land, and by large commercial growers and small subsistence farmers. The consumption and caloric contribution of vegetables to the diet vary widely with geographical region, nationality, local customs, and cuisine. Vegetable production, due to their cultivation intensity, suffers from many biotic stresses caused by pathogens, pests, and weeds and requires high amounts of pesticides per hectare. Pesticide residues can affect the health of growers and consumers and contaminate the environment. This chapter reviews the status of transgenic vegetables to improve vegetable production, emphasizing its place in integrated pest management. Examples are drawn from advances and potentials in transgenic research on tomato, eggplant, potato, cucurbits, brassicas, lettuce, alliums, sweet corn, cowpea, cassava, sweet potato, and carrots. Highlighted are host plant resistance to pathogens and pests, tolerance to herbicide, quality (both fresh and processed), and vaccine delivery in transgenic vegetables. Although conventional plant breeding that utilizes nontransgenic approaches will remain the backbone of vegetable genetic improvement strategies, the advantages of genetically modified technology for improvement of vegetables include reduced pesticide use, increased yields, added health benefits, and lower production costs. These advantages should provide incentive for integration of this technology into vegetable breeding, if consumer resistance can be overcome or mollified

Keywords

Biosafety; Gene flow; GM crops; Horticulture; Integrated pest management; Plant breeding

Published in

Plant Breeding Reviews
2012, volume: 35, number: 35, pages: 151-246
Title: Plant Breeding Reviews, Volume 35
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

SLU Authors

• Ortiz Rios, Rodomiro Octavio

  • Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Agricultural Science

Publication identifier

• ISBN: 9781118096796

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/35793