Development of Genetically Modified and Engineered Root and Tuber Crops in Response to Adverse Conditions to Overcome Food Problem: A Review

Abstract

Ever increasing human population in addition with global climate change, expansion of urban and shrinking of cultivable land, persistence of crop pests and diseases are contributing to sever starvation. Feeding of these population require more than double yield increment than the current situation. This can take for conventional plant breeding a long time which is a game of molecular improvement mechanism within a short period of time. So, this paper emphasized assay of on achievements of root and tuber crops improvement through modifying undesired gene traits to desirable. Root and tuber crops are the mainstay of majority of SSA where mainly cultivated for consumption. However, different production challenges such as biotic and abiotic factors and anti-nutritional factors of some crops hinder production and consumption. To tackle these problem different scientists and researchers exerted efforts of developing transgenic crops and successful results were reported on potato, cassava and taro resistant to different insect pests, diseases, drought and salinity. Additionally, inhibition of toxic substances in cassava and taro, increasing of nutritional composition such as vitamin, protein and improving postharvest storability via deactivating responsible enzymes. Even though large works had been done, comparative to other cereal crops, no more attention were given to root and tuber crops. Besides of modifying genetics of the crop the side effects it has on environment and other organism were not more touched. So, to realize food self-sufficiency doing on high yielding crop per piece of acre and side by side evaluation of effect to be occurring is recommended.