Agri Biotechnology

Agri Biotechnology

Agribiotechnology - Harvesting the Potential
The agriculture biotechnology space has grown in the past five years as witnessed in increasing number of private sector and public sector projects. The investment in the sector has also shifted to some extent from purely application-oriented research to a mix of basic and applied research. Birth of several biotechnology companies who are catering to and providing specialized research services to seed companies who lack in-house research facilities demonstrates the growing opportunities agribiotechnology.

  After its introduction in India in 2002, the acreage under Bollgard cotton expanded from 72,000 acres to projected 14 million acres in the 2007 planting season. The annual increment in acreage in the 2005 to 2006 season has shown a 177% increase with enhanced yields at a minimum of 45% over non-technology products. This has led to an overall cotton production increase by 13263K quintals of seed cotton, additional

 2730K bales of lint, additional income for the farmers from the crop and its byproducts such as cotton  oil and feed, and associated savings in farm labor costs. These trends have been witnessed in the next  growing season as well. This surpasses all previous adoption rates for any product.

 Bollgard cotton has demonstrated significant benefits as a result of adoption of appropriate technology  by Indian farmers. Other technology products being developed include insect tolerant rice, eggplant, okra, pigeonpea and many other crops. The second generation products reflect the ability to address more complex traits such as abiotic stresses like drought and salinity.

The realization that agriculture will benefit significantly with the use of molecular tools in addition to genetically enhanced crops is also leading to greater investments in high-throughput molecular marker/diagnostic facilities.

Assured by a well defined and stringent regulatory system, private sector companies look to the coming years with optimism for biotechnology products. With a few more success stories like the Bollgard cotton, the Indian agribiotechnology sector is set to fly high.
 

New and Emerging Transgenic Crops

India had realized several years back that to sharply increase food, feed and fiber production from the current level, use of biotechnology is imperative. Several institutions under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research are actively applying biotechnological tools to enhance productivity and quality of agricultural crops. Besides, a number of institutions, notably state agricultural universities, traditional universities and other R&D organizations are funded by DBT through extramural grants to support research on transgenic crops.

          The commercial cultivation of transgenic cotton, field evaluation of mustard for heterosis breeding, development of Bt eggplant and protein-rich potato has yielded very encouraging results. Acreage under Bt cotton cultivation doubled in 2003 and stood at 3.8 million ha in 2006 in comparison to China's acreage of 3.5 million ha thus moving India to the fifth position in global ranking ahead of both China and Paraguay. The major states growing Bt cotton presently in order of area coverage are Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu

  Pulses are important ingredients of Indian food and the country accounts for 90% and 73% of world's pigeonpea and chickpea production respectively. Therefore, priority is being given for developing transgenic pulse crops resistant to pod borer and other biotic stresses. In other crops such as rice, potato, eggplant, tomato, sorghum, and cauliflower, transgenics are being developed on a fast track in both public and private sector institutions.

Majority of developments in crop biotechnology are presently being carried out by public sector institutions. Some private sector organizations, in collaboration with MNCs, are making efforts to develop and commercialize transgenics. The Bt strategy has been predominantly targeted by institutions for insect-pest resistance in several crops. Efforts are also being made by public sector institutions to develop major crops

DNA Markers based Purity Certificates for Basmati Exports

Basmati rice is a very special type of aromatic rice known world over for their extra long grains, and pleasant and distinct aroma. Traditional Basmati rice is not only in great demand in the domestic markets, but is also seen in the menu of connoisseurs worldwide creating a staggering billion-dollar export market. Authentic Basmati rice cultivation is confined to Indo-Gangetic regions of the Indian sub-continent.

Consumer preference for Traditional Basmati label not only yields high returns but even attracts duty exemption in some markets.

Evolved Basmati varieties developed by breeders to adopt intensive cultivation fell short of quality traits of Traditional Basmati and hence fetch a fractional profit. With the presence of relatively inferior non-aromatic long grain rice varieties, it is difficult to differentiate genuine traditional Basmati from pretenders. Importing countries gradually lose interest in adulterated consignments thereby hurting Basmati trade. Thus, to protect the interests of consumers and trade, precise identification of genuine Basmati rice samples and devaluation of adulterated samples becomes vital. Till recently, there was no established high throughput protocol to do so

Researchers at Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) at Hyderabad have developed a capillary electrophoresis based methodology along with a multiplex microsatellite marker assay for detection as well as quantification of adulteration in Basmati rice samples. The single-tube assay generates variety-specific allele profiles that can detect adulteration from 1% upwards. The protocol also incorporates a quantitative-competitive PCR based analysis for quantification of adulteration. Accuracy of quantification has been shown to be ±1.5%.

Purity certificates based on DNA tests are issued to export samples. This accomplishment showcases how advancement in Indian biotechnology has contributed to maintaining the quality of Basmati, the pride and heritage of the country.