Disease-resistant varieties developed through genome editing are an effective strategy for managing diseases in food crops, a new IITA study shows.
The study shows that recent advances in CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing can accelerate banana improvement. The study, published in May in the Plant Biotechnology Journal, was conducted at IITA-Nairobi between 2019 and 2020.
‘‘It is urgent to close the yield gap in staple crops and enhance food production to feed the world. The application of genome editing can improve agricultural productivity, thus boosting food security,’’ says Leena Tripathi, the lead author.
The researchers used CRISPR/Cas9 based genome editing to knock down the DMR6 Orthologue in banana for developing resistance to Banana Xanthomonas Wilt (BXW) disease.