This U.S. - South America proposal will support one junior and three senior researchers from the U.S., under the direction of Dr. Peter Maughan, to participate in a set of planning visits to Bolivia, Chile, Peru, and Ecuador. The objective of these planning visits is to identify priorities for the utilization and development of genomic tools for the major New World orphaned crops species [e.g., quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus and A. cadatus), tarwi (Lupinus mutabilis), yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus), cañahua (Chenopodium pallidacule), oca (Oxalis tuberosa), and mashwa (Tropaeolum tuberosum)]. Genetic resources, such as DNA sequence-based genetic markers, genetic linkage maps, and gene libraries are essential tools for understanding and improving the genetic basis of agriculturally important traits in crop plants. The use of DNA markers and gene manipulation (including genetic modification and transgenics) are now commonly used in combination with traditional breeding methods to accelerate and enhance varietal development of the major food staples. Unfortunately, many regionally important crop species (commonly referred to as orphan crops) lag far behind the major commodity crops (maize, soybean, wheat, rice, etc.) in terms of the development of these advanced genetic tools due to their status as minor crops in the U.S and Europe.
In addition to their regional importance as food and feed crops, these species are also of interest to the broader community of plant scientists due to their remarkable adaptation to severe environments and exceptional nutritional qualities. The work will be done in collaboration with Jorge Rojas-Beltran of the Fundación PROINPA, Cochabamba, Bolivia; Ivan Maureira Butler of the National Agriculture Research Institute, Carillanca, Chile; Luz Gomez Pando of the National Agricultural University La Molina, Lima, Peru; and Eduardo Peralta of the Instituto Nacional Autónomo de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, Quito, Ecuador. U.S. scientists will benefit from the interaction with these Latin American colleagues who will provide important lessons in applied research and agricultural practices and needs in developing countries. From these planning visits, a framework will be developed for future research proposals and a genomics workshop proposal.
