Maize yields have stagnated in sub‐Sahara Africa: a possible transgenic solution to weed, pathogen and insect constraints

Jonathan Gressel; Peter Mbogo; Fred Kanampiu; Paul Christou

doi:10.1002/ps.8224

journal article Open Access Jun 06, 2024

Maize yields have stagnated in sub‐Sahara Africa: a possible transgenic solution to weed, pathogen and insect constraints

Jonathan Gressel

Peter Mbogo Fred Kanampiu Paul Christou

Pest Management Science Vol. 80 No. 9 pp. 4156-4162 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1002/ps.8224

Abstract

AbstractDespite major breeding efforts by various national and international agencies, yields for the ~40 million hectares of maize, the major food crop in sub‐Saharan Africa, have stagnated at <2 tons/ha/year for the past decade, one‐third the global average. Breeders have succeeded in breeding increased yield with a modicum of tolerance to some single‐weed or pathogen stresses. There has been minimal adoption of these varieties because introgressing polygenic yield and tolerance traits into locally adapted material is very challenging. Multiple traits to deal with pests (weeds, pathogens, and insects) are needed for farmer acceptance, because African fields typically encounter multiple pest constraints. Also, maize has no inherent resistance to some of these pest constraints, rendering them intractable to traditional breeding. The proposed solution is to simultaneously engineer multiple traits into one genetic locus. The dominantly inherited multi‐pest resistance trait single locus can be bred simply into locally adapted, elite high‐yielding material, and would be valuable for farmers, vastly increasing maize yields, and allowing for more than regional maize sufficiency. © 2024 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Topics

No keywords indexed for this article. Browse by subject →

References

50

[1]

NigatuGandHansenJ Low growth in corn yields has dragged down Sub‐Saharan African. Amber Waves‐USDA Economic Research Service(2019).https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber‐waves/2019/november/low‐growth‐in‐corn‐yields‐has‐dragged‐down‐sub‐saharan‐african‐corn‐production/.

[2]

Sanntpoort R "The drivers of maize area expansion in Sub‐Saharan Africa. How policies to boost maize production overlook the interests of smallholder farmers" Landarzt (2020)

[3]

10.3390/agronomy12020374

[4]

Kumar P "An overview of crop loss assessment in maize" Maize J (2018)

[5]

10.1016/j.cosust.2023.101279

[6]

10.1038/s41559-018-0793-y

[7]

10.1016/j.foodcont.2018.03.018

[8]

10.1016/j.envc.2022.100590

[9]

10.1016/j.cropro.2003.11.014

[10]

10.1016/j.gfs.2021.100589

[11]

10.1111/pbi.12846

[12]

FAO and DWFI (2015)

[13]

10.1016/s0261-2194(03)00007-3

[14]

10.1002/ps.7522

[15]

10.1007/s10535-013-0348-7

[16]

10.1002/ps.5137

[17]

10.1016/j.gfs.2021.100544

[18]

10.1073/pnas.0901412106

[19]

10.1073/pnas.0809737105

[20]

10.3390/toxins15050319

[21]

Gressel J "Hit parasitic weeds hard with HIGS: they possibly can be transgenically controlled" Haustorium (2018)

[22]

Kenya (2009)

[23]

Kenya Despatch from Cabinet‐3rd October. Executive Office of the President(2022).https://www.betterseed.org/wp-content/uploads/GM-ban-lifted-30-October-2022.pdf.

[24]

10.1126/sciadv.1602382

[25]

10.1186/s12896-021-00730-6

[26]

10.1002/ps.4748

[27]

Zhu YY "Regeneration and transformation of a maize elite inbred line via immature embryo culture and enhanced tolerance to a fungal pathogen Exserohilum turcicum with a balsam pear class I chitinase gene" Afr J Agric Res (2011)

[28]

Lanzanova C "Characterization of the maize b‐32 ribosome inactivating protein and its interaction with fungal pathogen development" Maydica (2011)

[29]

10.3390/ijms15069343

[30]

10.1038/ng.3919

[31]

10.1016/j.gpb.2019.11.006

[32]

Kant P "Transgenic maize plants expressing modified ribosomal protein L3 (RPL3) with tolerance to gibberella ear rot" Cereal Res Commun (2008)

[33]

10.1371/journal.pone.0105932

[34]

10.3389/fpls.2017.00372

[35]

10.1002/ps.6334

[36]

10.1016/j.cropro.2017.09.015

[37]

10.1002/ps.7273

[38]

10.1016/j.cropro.2022.105945

[39]

10.1002/ps.6822

[40]

10.1002/ps.7171

[41]

10.1007/978-3-319-56678-8_10

[42]

10.1016/j.jbiotec.2011.01.021

[43]

10.1002/ps.5234

[44]

10.1111/j.1467-7652.2004.00089.x

[45]

10.1111/eea.13153

[46]

10.3390/molecules23040748

[47]

10.1016/s2095-3119(13)60735-2

[48]

10.1002/ps.3872

[49]

10.1186/s13059-020-02170-5

[50]

10.3390/agronomy13010226

Metrics

7

Citations

50

References

Details

Published: Jun 06, 2024
Vol/Issue: 80(9)
Pages: 4156-4162
License: View

Authors

J

Jonathan Gressel

Plant and Environmental Sciences Weizmann Institute of Science Rehovot Israel

P

Peter Mbogo

Seedco Kenya Ltd Nairobi Kenya

F

Fred Kanampiu

GOPA Worldwide Consultants GmbH Nairobi Kenya

P

Paul Christou

University of Lleida & Agrotecnio CERCA Center Lleida Spain; ICREA, Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies Barcelona Spain

Cite This Article

Jonathan Gressel, Peter Mbogo, Fred Kanampiu, et al. (2024). Maize yields have stagnated in sub‐Sahara Africa: a possible transgenic solution to weed, pathogen and insect constraints. Pest Management Science, 80(9), 4156-4162. https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.8224

Maize yields have stagnated in sub‐Sahara Africa: a possible transgenic solution to weed, pathogen and insect constraints

You May Also Like