Golden bananas for Africa

Transcription

1 Golden bananas for Africa D/Prof James Dale Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia & National Agricultural Research Organisation, Kampala, Uganda

2 The Top 10 Food Crops Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities Ranking Crop Production mt Also animal feed 1 Corn/maize Wheat Rice Potatoes Cassava Soybeans Banana/plantain Sweet potato Sorghum Yams 51 -

3 Worldwide production Top 10 countries Production (million tonnes) Population (million) India China Uganda Philippines Brazil Ecuador Colombia Indonesia Cameroon FAOSTAT, 2013 data including plantains

4 The problem for bananas The vast majority of domesticated bananas are selections from the wild, not bred Most cultivated bananas are triploids but there still exist edible diploids Domesticated bananas are very low male and female fertility: essentially sterile

5 Micronutrient deficiencies o third most important public health problem worldwide after HIV/AIDS and malaria (WHO) o disproportionately affects developing countries o vitamin A, iron, zinc, iodine and folic acid

6 Vitamin A deficiency 670,000 kids die of VAD every year Another 350,000 go permanently blind VAD: mortality, blindness, night blindness, impaired immunity system, impaired brain development

7 Human Nutrition Challenges in Uganda Micronutrient undernutrition The major micronutrient deficiencies in Uganda are: Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) Demographic and Health Survey % of children < 5 years had VAD 13-31% of women had VAD 50-80% of children < 5 years had IDA 32-64% of women had IDA Uganda banana consumption > 0.5kg/person/day Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities

8 Biofortification of staple crops Grand Challenge in Global Health No.9: Create a full range of optimal, bioavailable micronutrients in a single staple plant species: 2005 Banana21 BioCassava Plus Super Sorghum Golden Rice Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities

9 The project To alleviate vitamin A deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia in Uganda through the enhancement of micronutrients in the staple food of Uganda, bananas

10 QUT Australia Cavendish Genes NARO Uganda EAHB M9 Transformation Analysis Continuous technology transfer Transformation Analysis Field Trials Pro-vit A Iron Field trials Feeding trials Stewardship Pro-vit A Iron Made in Uganda

11 Our banana biofortification target Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) Bioconversion of -carotene to retinol 20 g/g dwt -carotene equivalents Daily consumption (children v adults) Processing losses (cooking: steaming)

12 Genetic modification of banana Timeline from explant to harvest Banana flower Harvesting Banana flower explants Embryogenic cell suspensions Rooted plantlets Multiplied & acclimatised First harvest 9 months 12 months 6 months 12 months 6 months Transformation Planted in field Harvesting Months

13 GM field trials in Australia Two field trials (AFT1 and AFT2) Started in combinations of transgenes and promoters 14 plantings with close to 2000 lines Banana varieties Dwarf Cavendish Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities

14 A selection of transgenes and promoters ZmPsy1 = phyotene synthase gene from maize MtPsy2a = phyotene synthase gene from Asupina (banana) CrtI = CrtI gene from Erwinia ACO = ACC oxidase promoter from banana (fruit expressing) Ubi = polyubiquitin promoter from maize (constitutive)

15 The Gold Standard Golden Rice 2 Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities ZmPsy1 Maize B73 CrtI

16 Carotenoid content of selected ripe raw banana cultivars (μg/g dwt edible portion) Genotype α-carotene (ug/g dwt) β-carotene (ug/g dwt) β-carotene equivalents (ug/g dwt) Asupina (PNG) Cavendish Lady finger East African Highland Hybrid M Plantain Target: 20 g/g dry weight -carotene equivalents Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities

17 Golden bananas Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities MtPsy2a Asupina

18 β-carotene equivalents (µg/g DW) β-carotene equivalents (µg/g DW) Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities ACO-ZmPsy1 PC-FG PC-FR SC-FG SC-FR RC1-FG RC1-FR RC2-FG RC2-FR FT467 FT475 FT479 FT483 ACO-MtPsy2a PC-FG PC-FR SC-FG SC-FR RC1-FG RC1-FR RC2-FG RC2-FR FT497 FT504 FT508 FT511 FT518

19 β-carotene equivalents (µg/g DW) β-carotene equivalents (µg/g DW) Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities ACO-MtPsy2a PC-FG PC-FR SC-FG SC-FR RC1-FG RC1-FR RC2-FG RC2-FR FT497 FT504 FT508 FT511 FT518 Ubi-MtPsy2a PC-FG PC-FR SC-FG SC-FR RC1-FG RC1-FR RC2-FG RC2-FR FT294 FT295 FT324 FT330 Variation between crops and seasons

20 Selected individual lines in AFT-2 Line Construct βce range (μ/g dwt) βce average (μ/g dwt) 584 ACO>ZmPsy1 + Exp1>CrtI ACO>MtPsy2a Exp1>MtPsy2a ACO>ZmPsy Ubi>MtPsy2a Ubi>MtPsy2a Wildtype 4-5 5

21 Elevated provitamin A Wildtype Cavendish High PVA Cavendish Line with gene from banana

22 The project in Uganda o Two constructs transferred to NARO: ACO>MtPsy2a and Ubi>MtPsy2a o Transformed into two cultivars - Nakitembe (an EAHB clone) - M9 (a conventionally bred cooking banana with high disease resistance) Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities

23 M9 fruit phenotype µg/gdw, 16Kg; Ubi>MtPsy2a 5.4 µg/g DW; 20 Kg

24 FT12364 FT12350 Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities Nakitembe top lines 71 µg/g DW; 12.5 Kg ; ACO>MtPSY2a WT µg/g DW; 11 Kg, Ubi>MtPsy2a

25 Timelines Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 QUT: Australia Gene and promoter discovery; transformations First field trial: assessment Sucker field trial; transgene expression and stability; molecular characterisation Molecular characterisation; biosafety; deregulation documentation NARO: Uganda Transformation: model Transformation: East African Highland banana and M9 Elite line selection field trial Multi-location regulatory field trial; deregulation submission

26 Technology Phenotype Nutrition The Product Bananas with high levels of PVA and iron released in Africa Stewardship Impact Communication

27 Some key points: Our target country in Africa is Uganda initially and then potentially, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi and Congo; India commenced August, 2012 The population in Africa in these countries is 125 million people Our planned release date is 2021 Collaboration, technology transfer and education are the key components

28 Our researchers and supporters James Dale Rob Harding JY Paul Bulukani Mlalazi Anthony James Jen Kleidon Jimmy Tindamanyire Wilberforce Tushemereirwe Jerome Kubiriba Stephen Buah Priver Namanya Moses Matuvo Sarah Nanyiti Doreen Amumpaire Joan Marunga James Kawuma Annette Magala Financial Support Jimmy Tindamanyire Field trials (in Australia) Jeff Daniels (DAF) Department for International Development Queensland university of Technology National Agricultural Research Organisation