Utilization of engineered resistance to viruses in crops of the developing world, with emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa

- Genetic engineering of virus resistance is feasible in monocots and dicots.
- Engineered virus resistance can be successful in all major crops.
- Developing countries are building capacity in plant biotechnology for crop improvement.
- Integration of viral sequences in plant genomes is a natural process.
- Definitions and regulations of transgenic plants require reassessment.

Viral diseases in crop plants constitute a major obstacle to food security in the developing world. Subsistence crops, including cassava, sweetpotato, potato, banana, papaya, common bean, rice and maize are often infected with RNA and/or DNA viruses that cannot be controlled with pesticides. Hence, healthy planting materials and virus-resistant cultivars are essential for high yields of good quality. However, resistance genes are not available for all viral diseases of crop plants. Therefore, virus resistance engineered in plants using modern biotechnology methods is an important addition to the crop production toolbox.