January 7, 2008

Pioneer to develop high-lysine sorghum in Africa

Researchers at Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. are helping develop high lysine  sorghum in Africa, where it is part of the staple diet.

Genetic modification of crops is controversial in Africa, but project sponsors say the move could reap huge returns such as better nutrition and improved health for many African farmers who grow sorghum in small plots.

The project is part of the Africa Biofortified Sorghum Project, a nine-member consortium that won a five-year,US$18.6 million grant, sponsored by the Gates Foundation.

The project has developed its second generation of transgenic sorghum seeds which contains more lysine, more vitamins A and E and more iron and zinc.

Pioneer also is training African scientists to work on the project.

Paul Anderson, research director for grain end-use improvement at Pioneer and the project's principal investigator, said the breakthrough was made possible by biotechnology, such as gene splicing to transfer traits from one plant to another.

The team managed to transfer genes that boosted protein quality, digestibility and mineral availability to sorghum, which could never have been possible through conventional plant breeding, Anderson said.
 
However, the project was not without its setbacks.

The consortium is currently appealing to the South African regulatory body which rejected an application for greenhouse tests earlier. The team is hoping field tests previously conducted in the US and Puerto Rico and the experience gained there would help overturn the rejection. 

Ant-GM groups have criticised the project, saying that GM plants are used by corporations to exploit poor farmers and threatens traditional production in Africa.