Genetic Transformation of Fagopyrum Species (Buckwheat)

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) is mainly known as a food grain crop, probably originating from Siberia or China. Being tolerant to poor soils, it became in some regions a basal component in rural alimentation. In France it covered large surfaces during the 19th century before being drastically decreased in culture areas, now insufficient for the present needs (Ferault 1984); a similar phenomenon occurred in the USA. (Pomeranz 1983). This is due to different reasons such as the lack of improvement in culture yields compared to other cereals, a declining taste in the 20th century for traditional buckwheat-based foods, digestibility problems (Kreft et al. 1994) bound to phenolics, and a lower demand in animal feed.