Transgenic Approaches for Development of Disease Resistance in Banana

Banana (Musa spp.) is one of the most important fruit crops in the world. India contributes around 37.2 % of total world production and is the largest producer in the world producing 28.45 million tones from an area of 0.796 million hectares with a net productivity of 35.7 MT/ha (http://faostat3.fao.org/faostatgateway/go/to/home/E; http://nhb.gov.in/area-pro/ database-2012.pdf). The edible bananas constitute 43 % of world production. The fruit has 22.2 % carbohydrate, 1.1 % protein, 0.84 % fibre, 0.2 % fat and 75.7% water. It is rich in vitamin B6, potassium and has lots of medicinal properties. Banana yield and productivity are limited by several biotic and abiotic stress factors. Among the chief biotic stress determinants are a number of important diseases and pests, which in some cases preclude banana cultivation altogether in certain regions of the world. Most significant banana diseases include fungal leaf diseases, vascular wilts, fruit rots and virus infections like banana bract mosaic virus and banana bunchy top virus (Bakry et al., 2009). Bananas are one of the least genetically improved crops, when compared to other major fruit crops. The majority of production is still based on the cultivars derived from wild collections. Banana breeding has been considered as difficult because most of the commercially important cultivars are triploids and are hence mostly sterile and the Transgenic Approaches for Development of Disease Resistance in Banana