marker-assisted selection in wheat - ictsd

442Marker-assisted selection – Current status and future perspectives in crops, livestock, forestry and fishSummaryPolicy options for research, development and diffusion of the products of markerassistedselection (MAS) depend on the development objectives and priorities of theagricultural sector, its various subsectors and cross-cutting activities dealing with scienceand technology (S&T), including biotechnology and the management of genetic resources.The policy agenda in each of these areas has shifted from the traditional focus of “raisingproductivity” to a broader agenda of improving rural livelihoods in both economic andnon-economic terms in support of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Securingfinancial commitments from national governments and donors to invest in MAS and relatedmolecular approaches requires more active engagement by national agricultural researchand extension systems (NARES) in the processes of revising poverty reduction strategypapers (PRSPs), and in developing policies and strategies for agricultural development,S&T and genetic resources. Agriculture and agricultural S&T are undergoing rapid changebut few developing countries have either agricultural S&T or biotechnology policies. Theyneed to develop these to build coherence across the agricultural sector including delineatingthe roles of public and private sector entities, and as a means to strengthen accountabilitywith respect to priority setting, monitoring and evaluating the outcomes and impacts ofboth research and practical applications of MAS. Options are provided for developingand implementing MAS programmes and projects, for setting priorities and evaluatingoutcomes and impacts. Given the uncertain nature of technical change and the long timeframes that often characterize translation of the research and extension services providedby NARES into sustainable improvements in productivity and livelihoods through geneticenhancement, it is concluded that greater emphasis needs to be placed on research toanalyse systematically the critical paths involved in successfully transforming researchoutputs into development outcomes and impacts and that this can best be achieved usingan innovation systems approach.