Author
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KAUR, BHAVNEET - PURDUE UNIVERSITY |
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HANDA, AUTAR - PURDUE UNIVERSITY |
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Mattoo, Autar |
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Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter Publication Acceptance Date: 8/9/2016 Publication Date: 1/1/2018 Citation: Kaur, B., Handa, A.K., Mattoo, A.K. 2018. Enhancement of phytochemical using next generation technologies for the production of high quality fruits and vegetables. In: Yahia, E.M., editor. Fruit and Vegetable Phytochemicals. 2nd edition. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Blackwell. p. 1394-1420. Interpretive Summary: There has been a phenomenal advancement in the biotechnology of agricultural crops. This revolution has greatly modified and reduced the use of pesticides in the production of agronomic crops, particularly corn and soybean over 90% of which are now genetically enhanced by biotechnology. Tomato is a good model system to test various axioms to enhance crop productivity and improve fruit quality, including shelf life and nutritional attributes. These biotech-enhanced crop varieties have gone through laborious field tests for crop performance and production strategies, and yielded huge amounts of data on the use of biotechnology for enhancing crop productivity and producing value added crops. Thus, biotechnology tools in tomato have led to the development of novel tomato genotypes. Translation of biotechnology advancements for developing horticultural crops should lead to the emergence of ‘super’ specialty crops. However, in spite of this extensive research carried out worldwide independently by academicians, public and privately supported researchers and industry has had limited commercial translation due to unfounded and non-scientific perceptions causing lack of support from retailers and food producers. An organized and stringent regulatory system and rigorous risk assessment for demonstrable safety and efficacy of genetically engineered products and not the process, is central to shifting the attention of the public from the technique per se to the advantages offered by novel traits. It is clear that this technology would greatly help in maintaining food security to an ever increasing world population, as reviewed here. This book chapter is relevant equally to students, faculty, and scientists in the following areas: horticulture, tomato breeding, molecular biology, biotechnology and plant physiology. Technical Abstract: Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an excellent plant model for unraveling physiological processes, fruit quality and fruit shelf determinants, stress responsive signaling, pathogenicity, and ripening development in climacteric fruits. Tomato is a popular vegetable, and along with potato, it is classified as a multi-billion dollar industry. The awareness among the consumers about health benefits of consuming tomato as a phytonutrient source of lycopene, ß-carotene, flavonoids and vitamin C that potentially mitigate disease phytonutrients has intensified research using this crop. Already, the genome of inbred tomato Heinz 1706 cultivar has been deciphered; genetic linkages for fruit quality characterized; molecular genetics/engineering for enhancement of fruit quality and abiotic/biotic stress tolerance genes validated; and, to top it all, tomato is a model also for pharming for vaccine production – all for the benefit of both the farmer and the consumer. Together with established regulatory framework well in place, the genetic dissection using fruit ripening mutants, new transgenic plants, and molecular breeding have opened a road map for scientists to further unravel the intricacies and regulation of genes governing fruit quality attributes as well as fundamental metabolic processes. The surge in technical progress and precision in engineering plant genomes have enabled development of novel tomatoes with marketable traits, e.g., higher carotenoid content – red/yellow tomatoes, and higher anthocyanin content - purple tomatoes, both beneficial for human health. |
