Chennai, India
January 24, 2008
Source:
The Hindu Business
Line via SEAMEO SEARCA
India has the potential to become
a major producer of transgenic rice and several genetically
modified (GM) or engineered vegetables by 2010, according to a
research report by Rabo India Finance Ltd on the Indian
agri-biotech sector. It has emerged as one of the leading
destinations for investment in biotechnology in the recent
years. It is also emerging as an important destination for both
biomarkers and validation services, the report said.
A biomarker is a substance used as an indicator of a biologic
state. It is a characteristic that is objectively measured and
evaluated as an indicator of normal biologic processes,
pathogenic processes, or pharmacologic responses to a
therapeutic intervention.
According to the report, there is an increasing use of molecular
markers in crop breeding and a growing realisation that some of
these new technologies could lead to future growth in the
productivity and quality of crops such as rice, wheat, eggplant
(brinjal), tomato and okra (lady's finger).
Stating that alliances were becoming increasingly important in
seed industry to bridge the gap between field experience and
emerging technologies, the report said most research and
development works in the country are being done in the public
sector. "These institutions are being generously funded by the
Union Government," it said.
Research work on
Research work is being carried in 19 crops. They are rice,
wheat, cotton, potato, banana, tomato, rapeseed, mustard,
coffee, tobacco, eggplant, cabbage, cauliflower, melon, citrus
fruit, black gram, groundnut, chickpea and pigeon pea.
Eight institutions, as per the report, are concentrating on two
or more crops, while others are concentrating on one each.
"Four kinds of tracts are being tackled: Resistance to attacks
by insect pests, viral and fungal diseases (biotic stress);
drought tolerance, water logging and salinity; and delayed
ripening and increasing shelf life," the report said.
Referring to Bt cotton, it said over 60 per cent of the 62 lakh
hectares under hybrid seeds were GM strains, and a study had
revealed gain to the tune of Rs 11,000 a hectare.
On Bt brinjal, the report said it could be the next important
biotech crop with several public institutions and private
companies developing improved varieties of drought tolerant
ones. These plants are also being developed to resist shoot and
fruit borer, it said, adding that two private firms have
developed strains to control fruit and shoot borer.
While transgenic tomato is aimed at curbing damage from leaf
curl virus and other infections such as buck eye rot of fruits,
septoria and early blight, transgenic potato, being developed by
public institutions, was yet to attract the private sector's
attention. "On the regulatory front, it is in the final stages
of approval (by the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee),"
the report said.
GM strains
Stating that much attention was being paid to research on GM
rice, Rabo India said the aim was to develop saline and drought
tolerant varieties, but no GM strain had been commercially
released. However, developments relating to the "Golden" rice
will have a significant impact on India, it said.
GM wheat was under development at the South Campus of the Delhi
University, while a host of other crops were being developed by
public and private sector.
"The future of transgenic seeds will see many private companies
entering into the transgenic seed market in India. Many
companies are developing agronomically important crops. Some
medium and large size seed companies with an annual turnover of
Rs 35 crore are developing transgenic seeds," it said.
On the challenges faced by the industry, the report said
intellectual property was one of the deterrents to growth of the
biotech industry as foreign players feel there was no sufficient
patent protection and access to patent litigation in the
country. "However, this perception has recently changed to a
great extent," it said.
On the biotech sector's growth, the Rabo India said during
2006-07, the agri-biotech industry's revenue was Rs 926 crore,
while it clocked an annual growth of 55 per cent. |
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