Biotechnology for postharvest – recent developments and future prospects
Don Grierson
Plant Science Division, School of Biological Sciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK
-
บทคัดย่อ
We have learnt a great deal over the last decade about quality attributes of produce that affect taste. appearance. nutritional value and storage life. This has been achieved by harnessing research expertise from a range of areas including physiology. bicchemistry, molecular biology, breeding, and combining this with classical postharvest approaches. The advent of genetic engineering has allowed us to test hypotheses, make new discoveries, and most importantly, develop extremely powerful technologies for directed plant breeding to produce new varieties with imoroved characteristics. These developments hold great promise for improving production and quality for growers. Producers, and consumers, while lowering inputs Genetic modification (GM) for postharvest was first achieved in tomato and GM varieties with reduced softening enhanced viscosity for processing and reduced ethylene synthesis and over-ripening have been marketed. Some of these products have been withdrawn from sale for a variety of reasons and others are being developed. Opportunities exist for extending GM modification to many other fruits and vegetables and studies on meion, banana, apple and papaya (to name just a few) are well advanced. The lead has been taken in climacteric fruits, but there are also many possibilities for vegetables and non-climacteric fruits. A major problem has arison over the last two years that threatens the future of GM crops. Many special interest groups have combined forces to attack GM plants. hoth in word and deed. This opposition is supported by well organised and professional media campaigns that attempt to persuade legislators and the public in general that GM is bad and puts at public health, The environment the developing world and is offensive to many belief systems.