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Title: TRANSGENIC VIRUS RESISTANT PAPAYA: FROM HOPE TO REALITY FOR CONTROLLING OF PAPAYA RINGSPOT VIRUS IN HAWAII

Author
item Gonsalves, Dennis
item GONSALVES, CAROL - PRIVATE
item FERREIRA, STEVE - U.H. MANOA
item PITZ, KAREN - U.H. MANOA
item Fitch, Maureen
item MANSHARDT, RICHARD - U.H. MANOA
item SLIGHTOM, JERRY - AUREOGEN BIOSCIENCES

Submitted to: Phytopathology Supplement; APSnet (Plant Pathology Online)
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/2/2004
Publication Date: 7/2/2004
Citation: Gonsalves, D., Gonsalves, C., Ferreira, S., Pitz, K., Fitch, M.M., Manshardt, R., Slightom, J. 2004. Transgenic virus resistant papaya: from hope to reality for controlling of papaya ringspot virus in Hawaii. Phytopathology Supplement; APSnet (Plant Pathology Online). APSnet Feature, American Phytopathological Society. Available: http://www.apsnet.org/online/feature/ringspot/.

Interpretive Summary: Abstract only.

Technical Abstract: The APSnet feature article that was written in 1998 was entitled 'Transgenic papaya: A new Hope for Hawaii. It can be said that the transgenic papaya fulfilled the hope of the Hawaii papaya industry to control PRSV and to stabilize and restore the supply of papaya close to what it was before PRSV entered Puna in 1992. There remain challenges to the Hawaii papaya industry, mainly in getting the transgenic papaya approved for sale in Japan. Due to its success, the transgenic papaya has often been referred to as the model on the use of biotechnology to help agriculture without the investments put in by large companies. Indeed, transgenic papaya has been developed and transferred to other countries. In Thailand and Jamaica, especially in Thailand, the transgenic papaya has performed very well under field trials, and deregulation procedures are coming along. However, it is very likely that the process will take much more time than we did in Hawaii. It is not due to the technicalities in product development, but due to the GMO controversy. Thus, technology has moved along, and the major challenge will be to see how the 'people' type of process proceeds toward making a decision on whether this technology will actually be used to fight this very severe problem in Thailand, Jamaica and other countries.