HarvestPlus Agenda in Relation to Tropical Fruits

HarvestPlus seeks to reduce micronutrient malnutrition among the poor by breeding staple food crops that are rich in micronutrients through a process called biofortification. HarvestPlus has targeted banana /plantain (musa spp.) to deliver higher levels of Pro-Vitamin A carotenoids (pVAC) to those communities in Sub-Saharan Africa with a higher prevalence of Vitamin A deficiency. Iron and zinc have also been considered but to date, the natural genetic variation discovered for Fe and Zn in musa is below 50 % of the target increment so the major focus is on improving pVAC concentration. The initial plant breeding strategy has emphasized a fast-track approach that selects pVAC-dense genotypes from existing material that is locally adapted. Working with IITA, Bioversity and the National Agricultural Research System (NARS) partners associated with these institutions, considerable testing of the nutrition and agronomic characteristics under relevant conditions in African target countries has taken place. The breeding strategy entails combining best pVAC sources with African adapted elite varieties that carry the productivity