GENETIC AMELIORATION OF SEED PROTEIN IN CEREALS AND GRAIN LEGUMES

Malnutrition both in terms of calories as well as proteins is being experienced extensively in the developing countries, mainly because of inadequate intake. The main sources of intake are the cereals and grain legumes in these countries. The starch, proteins and lipids (fats) play the predominant role in human and animal nutrition. Better quantity and quality of proteins will go a long way in solving the problem of malnutrition.

Genetic variability for proteins and their fractions, viz. various essential amino-acids, has been found both in cereals and legumes. Variability for nutritionally useful amino-acids like lysine, leucine, isoleucine, threonine, tryptophan, methionine and valine has been detected between cultivars, species and genera and this has been exploited in obtaining nutritionally superior genotypes.