Breeding Triticum durum
in Mediterranean Region by Using
in vitro & Genetic Transformation Tools

Wheat is one of the most important field crops worldwide, with the largest harvested area and production levels. As a monocotyledonous plant, wheat has lagged behind dicotyledonous plants in ease and efficiency of transformation. Thus, a consistent procedure of transformation and regeneration for wheat tissues is needed. The efficient production of fertile transgenic wheat plants was accomplished by using embryogenic suspension cells, immature embryos or callus cultures as target tissues and microprojectile bombardment as the mechanism of DNA delivery. This methodology opened the way to overcome many problems of cereal transformation.

Water stress (hyperosmotic) caused by drought and salinity is the most important abiotic factor limiting plant growth and crop productivity worldwide. Arable land acreage is limited in Egypt due to the lack of water needed for irrigation. The amount of High Dam water available is only sufficient for the irrigation of additional two million feddans of cultivated land along the north coast of Egypt. In addition, agricultural development in North Sinai as well as century project of the New Valley in the Western desert "Tushky" will depend mainly on irrigation with mixed fresh and drainage water, which raises the need for developing crop varieties with increased salt and drought tolerance. The gap between supply and demand in wheat, being a strategic commodity, makes it imperative to increase these areas where suboptimal conditions prevail, i.e., water deficit, salinity and high temperature.

The laboratories at AGERI are now proposing to examine the function and effects of the two genes, i.e., mtlD and HVA1 plus genes isolated at AGERI for improving abiotic tolerance in wheat. The genes isolated at AGERI are osmotin gene from Atriplex numularia, glycine aldehyde dehydrogenase gene from the halophyte Arthrocnemon gluacum and dehydrin gene from Vicia monantha.

OBJECTIVES

•  Evaluate expression of isolated abiotic tolerance genes from Egyptian environment on the prokaryotic and eukaryotic levels.

•  Produce mono-specific polyclonal antibodies for all genes for abiotic tolerance.

•  Transform Egyptian Durum wheat varieties -besides those supplied by ICARDA- with genes for abiotic tolerance.

•  Improve selection, transformation and regeneration efficiencies for these Durum wheat varieties.

•  Conduct greenhouse and field performance trials of regenerated transgenic plants.

•  Incorporate transgenic plants with improved abiotic tolerance into ongoing breeding programs in the Mediterranean region.

•  Enhance collaborative relationships within the Mediterranean region that will provide direct transfer of modern genetic technology to Egyptian agricultural research.