Achievements in Genetic Engineering of Amaranthus L. Representatives

Abstract

Despite the fact that in the modern world more than a thousand edible plants are used for food, only 3 staple cereal crops are grown worldwide: wheat, rice, and maize. Growing a limited number of crops often causes many problems: ranging from the loss of biodiversity, due to the constant cultivation of the same monocultures in the same areas, to the deterioration of soil quality. A way out of this situation is the selection of new untraditional and neglected plants that could grow in a wide range of temperatures, produce high yields and at the same time have a balanced amino acid composition. Pseudocereals of the genus Amaranthus L. meet these criteria. Amaranth grain and plant raw materials are used in many industries: food, medicine, cosmetics. Modern technologies do not stand still. Along with traditional methods of plant breeding, the rapid pace of development involves genetic engineering of plants, which allows the process of creating improved plants to be speeded up several times. The purpose of this study is to analyze and systematize the achievements in the field of regeneration and genetic transformation of representatives of the Amaranthus genus. The results can be used for a practical application: the genetic transformation of species of the genus Amaranthus and other close genera of plants.