Banana Xanthomonas wilt (BXW) is the most devastating disease of banana in east and central Africa, where banana is a major staple crop produced mostly by smallholder subsistence farmers. In the absence of known natural host plant resistance among cultivated banana cultivars, transgenic plants were developed constitutively expressing Hrap or Pflp genes originated from sweet pepper. The best 65 transgenic lines, selected based on enhanced resistance to BXW in greenhouse tests, were evaluated in a confined field trial in Uganda. The majority of transgenic lines had significantly higher resistance in comparison to control non-transgenic plants. Eleven of these transgenic lines were found to be highly resistant showing 100% disease resistance with both mother and ratoon crops. Aside from complete resistance to BXW, the transgenic lines also showed yield characteristics comparable to non-transgenic plants. This study provides the first field based evidence for transgenic control of a bacterial disease in banana.

Genetically modified bananas resistant to <i>Xanthomonas</i> wilt disease

248th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.

Genetically modified bananas resistant to Xanthomonas wilt disease