Genetic engineering for salt and drought stress tolerance in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important oil-yielding cash crop as well as an exportable agricultural commodity. It is a rich source of proteins, fats, and plays a crucial role in oilseed economy of India and many other countries. Peanut frequently encounters water-deficit and soil salinity conditions that affect its growth and productivity. Traditional breeding methods were not successful in generating lines tolerant to abiotic stress conditions. On the other hand, introduction of genes through genetic engineering methods conferred tolerance against both biotic and abiotic stresses. In all, the transgenics that were developed so far, stable inheritance of transgenes was noticed. Transgenics displayed higher biomass, yield and better resistance to abiotic stresses when compared with wild-type plants inferring that this method has potential for improving the crop with desired traits. Genetically engineered stress tolerant peanut plants could provide an avenue to the restoration of farmlands lost due to severe drought or salinity conditions and highlight the potential of this technology for developing climate resilient crop. © 2018, Indian Society for Plant Physiology.