INVESTIGADORES
ECHENIQUE Carmen Viviana
capítulos de libros
Título:
Biotechnology in forage crops and pasture plants.
Autor/es:
M.DÍAZ; VIVIANA ECHENIQUE
Libro:
Advances in Plant Physiology. A. Hemantaranjan (Editor).
Editorial:
Scientific Publishers
Referencias:
Lugar: Jodhpur; Año: 2004; p. 467 - 519
Resumen:
The most important forage species are members of the grass and cereal family (Poaceae) and the legume family (Leguminosae). They are either cultivated individually or combined in mixed pastures for livestock production (Forster et al, 2001). The application of biotechnology in pasture plant improvement has the potential to provide increased productivity and/or efficiency, with elimination of animal disorders such as bloat, and a more protected environment, with reduced need for chemical inputs to improve soil fertility or attain pest and disease control. Biotechnology cannot replace conventional plant improvement programs, but it can provide a remarkable new set of tools to assist plant breeders including the ability to source germplasm and traits from a complete range of biological sources, or through endogenous genes which have been manipulated in a highly specific, targeted manner. Genomics has the potential to ultimately link economically important phenotypes through their underlying physiology and metabolism to the genes responsible for them (DeRisi et al, 1997; Somerville and Somerville, 1999). Genome research in forage plants will allow the development of technologies with applications well beyond forage production systems thus significantly increasing the value of seeds and agricultural products (Woodfield and Brummer, 2001). Here we focus on describing current and future applications of biotechnologies and the impact of genomics to the improvement of forage species. We tried to review the most significant accomplishments of biotechnological research in the area.