Biotechnologies Applied to Crop Breeding – Lessons for Current and Future Challenges

Developments in biosciences especially in crop genomics have been of considerable interest in the last couple of decades. As a result of these genomes based information has contributed hugely in both improved understanding of traits as well as in capturing and breeding of useful genetic variations of traits in crops cultivars. However, the pace of development and delivery of crops products using such technologies has not been as fast as was originally thought. A number of factors are contributing to such setbacks. This presentation will review what is coming in the way and what needs doing to harness the full potential of the advances in biosciences. Approaches will be discussed that will allow enhanced access and assembly of genetic traits and their variations in crops gene pools for fast delivery of superior crop products providing enhanced food, nutrition and environmental security commensurate with diminished resource use. Examples of successes achieved in my laboratory and elsewhere in the world will be discussed.