1. Background
Banana important staple for millions in Uganda and East Africa
Grown by mainly resource poor farmers for subsistence
Average banana consumption is 243 kg/cap./year
Production in Uganda suffers several pest and disease constraints
Diseases
Black Sigatoka (Mycosphaerella fijiensis), Banana Bacterial Wilt (Xanthomonas campestris), Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum) , BSV
Pests
Banana Weevil (Cosmopolites sordidus) and parasitic nematodes (Radopholus similis)

2. The ABSPII project Objectives Activities
To develop Transgenic East African Highland Banana with resistance to Black sigatoka and parasitic nematodes
Develop a centre of excellence in crop biotechnology in Uganda
Activities
Construction of Bio-containment facility
Field testing of transgenic bananas developed at Katholic University of Leuven, Belgium
Improving EAHB embryogenic cell suspensions
Development of EAHB transformation system
Screening transgenic banana developed at NARO
Training and capacity building

3. First CFT of GM banana in Africa
Field Efficacy of chitinase gene against Black sigatoka
28 events, 1200 plants planted on 30th Nov. 2007
Trial effectively challenged with sigatoka disease through natural infestation
Data collection ongoing

4. Capacity building in Biotechnology
Laboratories
Molecular biology
Transformation
Tissue culture
Staff Training
PhD Scientists – 3
PhD students - 5
MSc. students – 7
BSc/Dip Assistants and technicians - 8

5. Virus resistance technologies continue to grow
Pathogen Derived Resistance
Protein Mediated Resistance
Coat Protein Mediated Resistance
Replicase Mediated Resistance
Movement Protein Mediated Resistance
RNA-mediated resistance
sRNAs that target vRNAs for degradation
Non-Pathogen, Protein Mediated Resistance
Transcription regulators: TFs, and sZFPs
DNA binding proteins
Interferon-like strategies; ds-RNA degrading enzymes
Translation initiation factors/co-factors

6. Virus Resistant Crops Commercialized to Date:
Papaya: resistance to PRSV, developed in public sector
Squash: resistance to potyviruses, developed in private sector
Plum: resistance to ‘Sharka’ disease: PPV, USDA
Tomato, sweet peppers, cucumbers: resistant to different viruses, developed and released in China in mid-’90s.
Nothing released yet in developing economies

8. Production of transgenic groundnut with resistance to tobacco streak ilarvirus
A collaborative Project:
R.N. Beachy/DVR Reddy
K.K. Sharma, ICRISAT,
Hyderabad, India

9. History of TSV in India First observed in 1996 in sunflower.
A disease epidemic occurred in groundnut during Kharif 2004 in Ananthapur, AP; >10 mil farmers affected
Symptoms were confused to those caused by Tospoviruses (PBNV)
The occurrence of TSV confirmed in the year from 3 independent laboratories (ICRISAT, MAHYCO & IARI)

10. TSV on Other Crops
sunflower
Marigold

11. Resistance To Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus in tobacco
AgriBioInstitute
University of Sofia, Bulgaria
Alternative: insecticides to control insect vector

12. Resistance to Bean Golden Mosaic Geminivirus in Brazil; EMBRAPA, Aragio et al
Disease is white-fly borne, controlled in part by insecticides