Dr. P. BalasubramanianProfessor, Centre for Plant Molecular Biology

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore

Research Priorities in Indian Agriculture

Water the most precious commodity in India

India prone to drought spells

Warmer Nights Threaten India's Rice Production

After 25 years, Kenneth Cassman, a professor of agronomy at the University of Nebraska and a co-author in the IRRI project, concluded that "Every 1 oC increase in nighttime temperature led a 10 percent reduction in yield." This is alarming because experts project an increase of 4 oC at nighttime. In this situation, the plants would find it hard to respire, reproduce, and would need more energy in their processes.http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/2010/05/05/1/.

Importance of cereals and starchy foods

Struggling to keep up

Not much of land is left

Fixation of heterosis through apomixis Improving nutritional status of major crops

rice, wheat and potato

Need for more efficiency

Cheap protein

Need for furthering biotechnology researchImpending challenges necessitating increased food

productionburgeoning populationshrinking land and water resources

Biotechnology - Viable optionIncreasing yield by reducing the losses due to biotic and abiotic stressesGene Revolution

Agricultural priorities-Strategies and Tools

Improving yield and qualityQTL identification and Marker assisted breeding Genomics – structural and functional genomicsBioinformatics and Functional validation Transgenics when necessary

Major Indian Institutes involved in agri researchNRCPB – IARI, New DelhiDelhi University (South campus)NCPGR, New Delhi JNU, New Delhi ICGEB, New DelhiTNAU, CoimbatoreMSSRF, Chennai

MKU, MaduraiUAS, Bangalore UAS, DharwadUniversity of HyderabadPAU, LudhianaDRR, HyderabadGB Pant Univ, Pant NagarMS Univ., Baroda

Major problems of priority cropsQuality improvement – wheatHybrid seed production – mustardTransgenics for biotic stress resistance – cotton, mung bean and tomatoAbiotic stress resistance – rice

Status of transgenic research in IndiaTransgenic insect resistant cotton – 2002Three more events were approved including one indigenously isolated gene. Research on other crops is in advanced stages of product development

cauliflower, cabbage, potato, brinjal, tomato, rice, mustard and bhendi

Entry of private sector in Agriculture researchWhen products are expected to be accompanied by a strong IPR regimeTechnology-intensive and investment-orientedMajor investment attractants

Cotton and vegetablesNot all private companies have adequate R&D facilitiesConcerns about human and animal health

Often orchestrated

Slow progress of agbiotech research in India

Transition from Green Revolution to Gene RevolutionMisquoted to be against the natureBiodiversity concerns often expressed

ICAR/DBT/SAUsas always, exercise caution before adopting newer technologies

Spurious seeds-their presence in the marketLacking in moral restraintNo legislation to contain

Future of agriculture research in IndiaIntensification of genomics research for increasing yield and stabilityCompletion of genetic mapping in rice and wheatInitiation of genetic mapping in grain legumesMolecular dissection of abiotic stress tolerance

Future thrusts in Indian Agricultural ScenarioImproving the iron content in rice grains Nutritionally enhanced Indian varieties of potatoApproaches to senescence retardation in fruitsWork on plant-microbe and virus interactionsGene silencing and recombination with a special reference to containing crop viral diseases

Think-tank vs. Do-TankRole of MSMEs in taking the fruits of this collaboration need to be clearly defined

LeapfroggingLeapfrogging is a theory of development in which developing countries skip inferior, less efficient, more expensive or more polluting technologies and industries and move directly to more advanced ones.The best-known example of leapfrogging is ?????

Leapfrog technology!World's first solar powered stadium: Taiwan in 2009finished construction on a 50,000-seat solar-poweredstadium that will generate 100% of its electricityfrom photovoltaic technology designed by theJapanese architect, Toyo Ito

The best-known Indian example of leapfrogging is ?????

Leapfrog technologiesMobile phone use already exceeds land line use in India, and by 2007, 150 million out of the 200 million phone lines there will be cellular. I am hopeful the next leapfrog technology will emerge from this collaboration.

Oliver Goldsmith in “Deserted Village”

55: But a bold peasantry, their country's pride,56: When once destroy'd, can never be supplied.