P. Zhang

This specially curated collection features six reviews of current and key research on genetic modification of crops.The first chapter reviews key challenges facing banana production, primarily the risk of species decimation by diseases such as Fusarium wilt, and considers how genetic modification may be a solution to this.The second chapter discusses the development and establishment of ‘Golden Rice’ - a biofortified variety designed as a health intervention to help alleviate the problem of vitamin A deficiency.The third chapter details recent advances in the genetic modification of important agronomic traits of soybean crops, such as herbicide tolerance and insect resistance. The fourth chapter addresses progress in and prospects for transgenic interventions in the improvement of grain legumes, concentrating on chickpea, pigeonpea, cowpea and more.The fifth chapter reviews recent research efforts in the production of genetically modified (GM) oil palm plants and looks towards establishing stable lines of commercially viable GM varieties.The final chapter describes recent progress relating to transgenic modification of cassava and how future research can strengthen food security and commercialization of the crop.

This specially formulated collection features 3 reviews of current topics and key research in sweetpotato.The first chapter examines the origin and dispersal of sweetpotato, considers in vitro germplasm storage in sweetpotato genebanks, and looks at the importance of managing sweetpotato crop wild relatives (CWR). The chapter also considers the specific issues associated with sweetpotato germplasm, as well as the application of next-generation sequencing to sweetpotato and its CWR.The second chapter reviews the development and application of genetic transformation and trait improvement to sweetpotato, including the development of sweetpotato plants which are resistant to disease and abiotic stress, and sweetpotatoes with improved starch quality and higher anthocyanin content.The final chapter examines the nutritional contribution made by OFSP (orange-fleshed sweetpotato) in poor rural communities in Malawi, Ghana, Nigeria and Burkina Faso; sustainable breeding and seed systems; and effective commercialisation and marketing to benefit the communities concerned. This chapter includes detailed case studies from Ghana and Malawi.