Year: 2015
Pages: 284-299
Number: Volume 7, issue 4
Type: scientific article
This review focuses on the perspective crop for Russia - amaranth. Of the 75 species of amaranth in as vegetables, fodder, grain, medicinal and ornamental plants cultivated 12 species, of which the most widely used Amaranthus caudatus, Amaranthus cruentus and Amaranthus tricolor. A distinctive feature of amaranth from many other crops is the increased stress tolerance which helps to preserve its high productivity even in environments in which many other crops yield is impossible. In this regard, amaranth considered as promising for genetic engineering, which may be a potential donor of genes when making a stress-resistant transgenic plants. The leaves and grains of amaranth contain substances that carry a high nutritional value and are primarily proteins, balanced in terms of essential amino acids, so this plant has great potential for use as a forage and food crop. Amaranth may also find use in medical applications, since this plant extracts have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Russian plant breeders are working intensively on the development of new grain, silage, vegetable and ornamental varieties of this crop. However, to increase the productivity of amaranth can be used not only selection methods, but also modern techniques of genetic engineering. Methods for transformation of amaranth are still largely undeveloped, there are only three papers, where describes the development of transgenic amaranth. We have mastered the technology of amaranth transformation by floral dip. Mastering this technique allows to plan works to develop of Russian GM varieties of amaranth. Russian GM varieties of amaranth should be characterized by increased cold resistance, improved growth parameters of vegetative organs, as well as increased yield of grain and increased content of oil in seeds.
Amaranthus caudatus, A. cruentus, A. tricolor, A. retroflexus, essential amino acids, selection of amaranth, amaranth transformation, transgenic amaranth, productivity, yield, stress tolerance.