FP6 priority
1.1.5   Food Quality and Safety
Title of the proposal

Conservation, breeding and use of the underutilized and neglected crops for the sustanaible agriculture and production of higher quality food

Institute
Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Plant Genetics and Biotechn.ology
Akademicka 2, P.O.Box 39A, 95007 Nitra, Slovak Republic
nic.savba.sk/sav/inst/savnr/index.html
Contact
Name:
RNDr. Alena GAJDOSOVA, CSc.
Phone:
+421 37 7336661
E-mail:
gajdosova@savba.sk


Research subject for a potential FP6 project

The importance of plant genetic resources for food security and sustainable agriculture has been recognized at the highest political level. Only a few crops produce the majority of the world’s food. It is why now many neglected and underutilized crops are extremely important for quality food production mainly in low income food deficit countries. As a part of the recent renewal of interest in nutritional and economic potential of underutilized and neglected crops, research in Amaranthus species cultivation has been reinitiated providing a basis for agronomic and genetic improvement and successful large-scale reintroduction.
Amaranth grain has an attractive chemical composition and nutritive value compared to other cereals or food legumes. Amaranth fulfils the most criteria used for the selection of new crops for sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture. Genetic improvement of these traditional crops can be achieved by various techniques such as genetic recombination and selection, mutation induction, and appropriate biotechnological approaches. It is necessary to apply and adapt existing technology, already developed for major crops, to neglected and underutilized crops in order to improve food security, enhance nutritional balance, and promote sustainable agriculture. By combination of classical breeding methods with in vitro and molecular biology techniques is possible to elaborate an efficient method for genetic improving of selected crops and production and distribution of new cultivars.


Recent international cooperation of the research team

Participation of Institute team in multilateral scientific project on genetic improvement of underutilized and neglected crops under co-ordination of International Atomic Agency Vienna, Austria.


Proposer´s relevant publications related to the research subject

Stefcikova,M., Pullman,J., Jurekova,Z., Gajdosova,A., 1997: Prve poznatky in vitro kultivacie niektorych druhov rodu Amaranthus.
Zb.referatov z kontrolnych dni vyskumneho projektu GAV-MS, c.1074/74.
Biologizacia rastlinnej vyroby VII., Nitra, 1999, 81-87.