Muscat: The regional workshop on "Molecular Breeding and Marker-Assisted Selection", which commenced today in Muscat and continues until 24 September, discussed enhancing scientific and technical cooperation and exchanging expertise in modern plant breeding technologies.
According to Oman News Agency, the workshop, held under the auspices of Dr. Ahmed Nasser Al Bakri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources for Agriculture, seeks to build national and regional capabilities in utilizing molecular technologies and genetic markers in genetic improvement programs. This initiative aims to contribute to developing agricultural production and elevating its capacity to confront environmental and climatic challenges.
Organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, represented by the Directorate General of Agriculture and Livestock Research, in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the workshop includes lectures, practical applications, and specialized training in the fields of molecular breeding and marker-assisted selection. This approach enhances participants' knowledge and skills and paves the way for exchanging expertise and experiences among specialists and researchers from participating countries.
Dr. Al Ghalia Hamid Al Maamari, Director of the Tissue Culture and Biotechnology Research Center, stated that organizing this regional meeting is a result of constructive and continuous cooperation, highlighting the importance of international partnerships in supporting scientific research and developing capabilities in modern agricultural technology fields.
She noted that food security and the sustainability of the agricultural sector are at the forefront of shared developmental priorities, given the accelerating climatic and environmental challenges facing the world. These challenges include drought, rainfall fluctuations, soil degradation, and limited freshwater resources, alongside increasing pressures from the spread of plant pests and diseases. She emphasized the necessity of adopting a scientific and innovative approach based on deploying advanced biotechnologies to enhance the resilience and productivity of agricultural systems and secure communities' needs for strategic and staple food crops.
Dr. Al Maamari explained that mutation breeding programs represent one of the effective and proven strategic solutions for improving agricultural crops and achieving qualitative advances in their quantitative, productive, and qualitative traits. She described mutations, whether spontaneous or laboratory-induced using physical mutagens-including radiation within the framework of peaceful nuclear technologies-or chemical mutagens, as an important foundation for generating and expanding the base of genetic variation in plants.
This genetic variation allows for the development and introduction of new and desirable genes and traits, enabling plants to withstand harsh environmental conditions, adapt to the impacts of climate change, and resist agricultural pests, particularly in staple cereal crops like wheat and barley, along with crops of local economic importance.
Dr. Al Maamari also highlighted that utilizing genetic markers allows for screening plant genetic material and precisely selecting successful and promising mutations, rather than relying on years for desired traits to manifest phenotypically and stabilize across generations. This contributes to reducing research time and effort and accelerating access to improved varieties.
She concluded by emphasizing that integrating mutation breeding technologies, molecular techniques, and marker-assisted selection represents a promising approach to accelerating the production of improved agricultural varieties. This integration enables efficient and rapid transfer of these varieties to farmers' fields, thereby supporting food security and boosting the resilience of agricultural systems against global food crises and supply chain disruptions.
The workshop aims to highlight the integration of molecular breeding techniques and marker-assisted selection with mutation breeding programs as precise diagnostic tools enabling the identification of genetic changes and the selection of promising mutations at early stages of plant growth.