Proceedings of the International workshop on new technologies and cocoa breeding

Abstract

Progress in the development of new technologies in plant breeding has been tremendous during the last 15 years and practical applications are now emerging. The expectations of the new technologies are high, though it is understood that these techniques can only make a useful contribution if the traditional breeding base is strong enough to support their integration. It is often felt that there is still a large gap between traditional breeding and molecular biology. Certainly, an increased level of interaction between the 'new' and 'traditional' technologists is a first requirement for any use of new technologies for the benefit of the cocoa farmers and consumers. It is estimated that presently there are equal numbers of cocoa geneticists who are developing or using new technologies and traditional plant breeders. The aim of the Workshop was to stimulate interaction between these researchers. INGENIC invited Dr. Mike Wilkinson, a molecular biologist/breeder with experience of many crops, including cocoa, to give an overview of the potential of new technologies in plant breeding. This presentation was followed by five sessions covering the various techniques and applications to cocoa genetics/breeding. Presentations in each session were followed by discussion and the last session was devoted to the formulation of the Workshop Conclusions and Recommendations. The sixty participants, from 16 countries, were encouraged to consider the progress made to date with each of the new technologies, to identify applications for the information that has already been generated and to make recommendations on new collaborative activities that could realise the full potential of these new technologies in cocoa breeding. (Résumé d'auteur