marker-assisted selection in wheat - ictsd

378Marker-assisted selection – Current status and future perspectives in crops, livestock, forestry and fishto apply MAS and other advanced technologiesto crop and livestock breedingin developing countries.• MAS has to be understood and undertakenas part of a complex process. Complementaritiesand a mix of technologiesand capabilities, together with effectiveapproaches to networking, must beviewed as key ingredients for its appropriatedevelopment and application tobreeding programmes.• One of the key problems limiting the useof MAS and other advanced technologiesin developing countries is the difficultyof building effective teams and networks.Approaches to networking and partnershipsare key to enabling organizationsto attain new goals with less cost andto adding more value to their productsand processes. Also, the demand forefficiency and relevance presses R&Dprogrammes to move in the direction ofcooperation and alignment of efforts.• The present and future challenges andopportunities for agricultural researchorganizations are to build public/privatepartnerships or new types of consortiadedicated to innovation. In forming suchalliances, these organizations must recognizethat developing productive relationshipsinvolves non-competitive dialogueand understanding of each others’ abilitiesand limitations. In order to surviveand flourish, partnerships have to besustained on trust and understanding.• Developing countries must focus ontraining to build and shape capacities andeffective strategies to support researchin advanced biology applied to breeding.Also, new management strategies areneeded to deal with the complex natureof modern breeding programmes.ReferencesAltshuler, D., Pollara, V.J., Cowles, C.R., Van Etten, W.J., Baldwin, J., Linton, L. & Lander, E.S.2000. An SNP map of the human genome generated by reduced representation shotgun sequencing.Nature 407: 513–516.Brandenburger, A.J. & Nalebuff, B.J. 1997. Co-opetition, New York, USA, Doubleday.CAST (Council for Agricultural Science and Technology). 1994. Challenges confronting agriculturalresearch at land grant universities. Issue Paper 5. Ames, IA, USA.Castro, A.M.G., de Cobbe, R.V. & Goedert, W.J. 1995. Manual de prospecção de demandas para oSNPA. Brasília, Brazil, Embrapa.Castro, A.M.G., Lima, S.M.V. & Freitas Filho, A. 1998. Manual de Capacitación en Análisis deCadenas Productivas. Brasília, Brazil, Embrapa.Castro, A.M.G., Lima, S.M.V., Lopes, M.A. & Martins, M.A.A.G. 2002. Estratégia de P&D para oMelhoramento Genético em uma Época de Turbulência. Anais do XXII simpósio de gestão da inovaçãotecnológica, p.17. Salvador, BA, Brasil.Castro, A.M.G., Lopes, M.A., Lima, S.M.V. & Bresciani, J.C. 2005. Trends and technologicalstrategy in the Brazilian seed sector (Cenários do Setor de Sementes e Estratégia Tecnológica).Revista de Política Agrícola Brasília 3: 58–72.Castro, A.M.G., Lima, S.M.V., Lopes, M.A., Machado, M.S. & Martins, M.A.G. 2006. O Futuro doMelhoramento Genético Vegetal no Brasil – Impactos da Biotecnologia e das Leis de Proteção deConhecimento (The future of plant breeding in Brazil – impacts of biotechnology and intellectualproperty legislation). Brasília, DF, Embrapa Informação Tecnológica.