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February 9, 2009
The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid
Tropics (ICRISAT) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT),
Government of India, have together launched the project for
establishing a Platform for Translational Research on Transgenic
Crops (PTTC). The foundation stone for the PTTC was laid by Dr
MK Bhan, Secretary, DBT, and Dr William Dar, Director General of
ICRISAT, at the Patancheru campus of ICRISAT, near Hyderabad,
today.
The DBT-funded Platform is a US$ 6.2 million project that will
translate transgenic technology and harness its products to meet
the needs of agricultural growth and serve as a facility of
reference to strengthen national, regional and international
linkages in transgenic R&D, exchange of materials and
information, as well as support training, consultation and
technology commercialization.
The PTTC will provide an opportunity for public sector research
institutes and private sector biotechnology companies to work
together for translating transgenic research into products.
Speaking at the foundation stone laying function, Dr William
Dar, Director General of ICRISAT, said that research
breakthroughs in agri-biotechnology hold the potential for
increasing crop productivity and the resistance of food crops to
pests and diseases, thereby helping solve the food crisis. The
future food demand cannot be met merely from incremental gains
from conventional plant breeding. A quantum change in yield
improvement is needed, such as that which occurred during the
Green Revolution.
Finding solutions to major crop productivity constraints,
developing new technologies that raise yields in low-potential
areas and creating opportunities for diversification in
agricultural value chains are some of the major present day
agricultural challenges, Dr Dar added.
Agri-biotechnologies are a further step in an evolution that
extends from the dawn of agriculture. These technologies offer a
new set of tools to enhance crop productivity and profitability.
In 2008, another 40 million people were pushed into hunger due
to high food prices! A majority of the world’s undernourished,
over 900 million, live in developing countries alone! The world
hunger crisis may further deteriorate as the financial crisis
combined with the energy crisis, and emerging climate change
issues threaten livelihoods. Hence combating the food crisis
will require much greater investments in agriculture.
ICRISAT believes that biotechnology can contribute to global
food, feed and fiber security; improve health and nutrition; use
less external inputs for a more sustainable agriculture and
environment; conserve biodiversity and help improve economic and
social status and alleviate poverty in poor countries, Dr Dar
said.
Transgenics offers a powerful tool for nutritional enhancement
that may save lives or help farmers adapt to climate change
through faster integration of genes for drought and flood
tolerance, in the process generating social, economic and
environmental benefits for resource-poor farmers.
According to Dr Bhan, the PTTC will bring together the expertise
of DBT and ICRISAT and build partnerships to strengthen the
conceptualization, development and delivery of
agri-biotechnological research products that will ultimately
benefit the Indian farmers in improving their incomes.
By financially supporting the PTTC, the DBT wants to fund
research and provide infrastructure for innovation, so that
transgenic technology can strengthen agricultural productivity,
Dr Bhan said. The PTTC will add value to research by
strengthening trust and reliability. The Platform will also
bring together the unlimited creative strength of partnerships
for strengthening agricultural research. |
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