Kikundi cha Profesa Jonathan Jones katika Maabara ya Sainsbury huko Norwich kimefanikiwa kutengeneza PiperPlus 1.0, viazi vya Maris Piper vinavyostahimili ukungu marehemu ambavyo viko tayari kuuzwa mara tu Uingereza itakapotekeleza udhibiti unaoweza kutekelezeka wa mazao yaliyoboreshwa kupitia urekebishaji jeni (GM).
"PiperPlus 1.0 sio tu inastawi bila dawa ya kila wiki ya dawa ya kuvu inayohitajika kudhibiti ugonjwa wa marehemu, lakini pia ina sifa zingine ambazo zitasababisha upotezaji mdogo wa chakula wakati uzalishaji na bidhaa bora zaidi kwa watumiaji,” kulingana na nakala ya hivi majuzi ya TSL.
Baadhi ya jamaa wa viazi pori, kama vile Solanum americanum, hustahimili ugonjwa wa baa. Timu ya Jones ilifanikiwa kutenga jeni sugu za Solanum na kuzihamishia tatu kati ya hizo kwenye viazi vya Maris Piper, na hivyo kutoa upinzani kamili wa baa. Hii ilisababisha kuundwa kwa mradi wa PiperPlus. Viazi vya PiperPlus 1.0 pia hustahimili mnyauko wa mizizi, ugonjwa ambao huathiri mizizi wakati wa kuhifadhi na unaweza kusababisha hasara kubwa baada ya kuvuna.
PiperPlus 1.0 has additional tuber quality traits that will make it easier to store the potatoes without losing product quality. A project collaborator, Simplot, provided the technology to silence certain genes that cause cold-induced sweetening and tuber bruising. Reducing the amount of some sugars formed during cold storage means that the tubers will form less acrylamide during high-temperature cooking (such as frying or roasting).
"Hii itawawezesha wakulima kuhifadhi viazi kwenye joto la chini ambalo huzuia kuota huku zikiwa na ubora wa juu," wataalam walisema.
Zaidi ya hayo, tabia ya chini ya viazi hivi kupata michubuko, ambayo inaweza kutokea katika hatua yoyote kuanzia kuvuna hadi kusindika, inamaanisha kuwa mizizi michache itatupwa na zaidi itapatikana kwa kuliwa.
"Faida kuu ya teknolojia hii ni mazingira", anasema Jonathan Jones. “Una dawa chache za kuua ukungu katika mazingira, matrekta machache yanayogandanisha udongo, na dizeli inayochoma ili kutoa kaboni dioksidi. Na kwa sababu ya ubora wa kiazi, una upotevu mdogo wa chakula.
Most potato varieties in the UK are PVY susceptible. Potato Virus Y is one of the most important viruses that affect potato production and is transmitted via sap-sucking aphids. The virus can be transmitted in potato tubers which means that if they are used as seed potatoes, the viral load will progressively increase.
Seed potatoes need to be certified as having very low levels of PVY. About 75% of the UK’s seed potatoes are grown in Scotland due to its cooler climate which reduces aphid populations. A PVY-resistant potato would mean that seed potatoes could be grown in warmer climates and that England would be able to produce its seed potatoes.
Jonathan Jones’ group in collaboration with their Polish colleagues from IBB PAS and IHAR Młochów isolated a PVY resistance gene from a wild potato relative, Solanum stoloniferum. The first PVY-resistant and blight-resistant PiperPlus 2.0 lines have already been planted in a field trial to test their performance.
Ukungu wa kuchelewa kwa viazi ulisababisha Njaa ya Viazi ya Ireland katika miaka ya 1840 na inaendelea kuwatesa wakulima wa Uingereza leo. Mafanikio mengi katika kilimo cha viazi yanaweza kuhusishwa na maendeleo katika uundaji wa viuavidudu na taratibu za kunyunyizia dawa, lakini hizi lazima zirekebishwe mara kwa mara kwani aina zinakuwa hazijali au kustahimili kemikali.
Chanzo: https://www.potatobusiness.com
