crop improvement

This review summarizes the current techniques used for site-directed genome editing in plants, focusing on the CRISPR/Cas system, and discuss their current and future applications for crop biology. The use of these technologies in crop biology has opened up a new era of genome editing-mediated crop breeding. »

This article discusses the growth of the private seed sector since the seed industry in Eastern and Souther Africa (ESA) was deregulated, the importance of public-private partnerships in driving genetic gains for climate-smart (CS) traits, and the importance of developing a favourable regional regulatory environment that incentivises the private sector to rapidly scale out CS crop varieties »

This study offers insights into smallholder farmer’s practices regarding acquisition and distribution of sweetpotato planting material in Tanzania. Findings reveal that most farmers rely almost exclusively on informal seed systems. »

This review examines the use of CRISPR/Cas9 in improvement of tropical crops, how it can be applied to improve crops and product quality, and address challenges pertaining to tropical crops. Many success stories on application of CRISPR/Cas9 in genome editing of tropical crops have not been reported yet. »

This article presents an overview of the agronomic, economic, and environmental performances of low-tech protected cultivation techniques (PCT) in sub-Saharan Africa. Technology transfer and the adoption of PCT affordable for smallholders are believed to be able to feed the increasing population and fight malnutrition. »

This article in the Global Food Security journal discusses the effectiveness of agronomic biofortification – the application of mineral micronutrient fertilizers to soils or plant leaves to increase micronutrient contents in edible parts of crops – and it’s potential to fight hidden hunger. There is evidence that agronomic biofortification can increase yields and the nutritional quality of staple crops, but there is a lack of direct evidence that this leads to improved human health. »