Status of Indian and global developments in

Genetically Modified crops

Jeetendra SolankiBiotech Consortium India Limited,

New Delhi

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

Classical plant breeding is limited to the introduction of required characters into plant by genetic crossing during sexual reproduction

To feed the ever increasing population more and more food has to be produced from less and less land water and other natural resources

It is obvious that emphasis has to be laid on new technologies that can improve crop yield against adverse conditions of biotic and abiotic stresses and improve the quality

contd

The earlier part of plant biotechnology era has been the development of tissue culture protocols of several commercially important crops

The “gene revolution” as compared to green revolution is poised to benefit both poor and rich farmers equally and has an immense potential in transforming global agriculture.

In India, significant efforts have been made to significantly for developing several programmes in Biotechnology

WHAT IS A TRANSGENIC CROPWHAT IS A TRANSGENIC CROP

– A transgenic crop is a crop which contains a gene or genes of a different species artificially inserted in its genome,which may come from an unrelated plant or from a completed different species.

Why make transgenic crops?Why make transgenic crops?

Due to limitations of conventional breeding for attaining the desirable traits use of recombinant DNA technology has been taken advantage of and development of transgenics started

CELL: SMALLEST UNIT OF LIFENUCLEUS: BRAIN OF THE CELL

CHROMOSOMES: STRUCTURE CONTAINING THE GENETIC INFORMATION

GENES: SMALLER PIECES OF GENETIC INFORMATION

DNA: BUILDING BLOCK OF THE GENE, DOUBLE HELIX STRUCTURE

Organization of DNA in the cell

TRADITIONAL PLANT BREEDINGDNA is a strand of genes, much like a strand of pearls. Traditional plant breeding combines many genes at once.

Desired Gene

X

Many genes are transferred

Donor Plant

Commercial Plant Variety

New Plant Variety

+

A single gene is transferred

Desired Gene

Commercial Plant Variety

Improved Commercial Plant Variety

PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGYUsing plant biotechnology, you can add a single gene to the strand.

Desired Gene

Donor

Biotechnology is an Extension of Biotechnology is an Extension of Traditional Plant BreedingTraditional Plant Breeding

Development of GM Crop/Development of GM Crop/TrasgenicsTrasgenics

Identify gene(s) giving a desired trait

Make copies of the gene

Transfer to plant tissue

Regenerate plants

Lab analysis and safety testing

Development of a variety

Field tests

Approval by Government agencies

Commercialization

Monitoring of efficacy and safety

7-8 years

Methods of producing transgenic plant

Advantages of transgenic crops over breeding

No barrier

Breeding Transgenic crops

Exchange of genes within a species

Simple Technology

History of Safety

Only Gene of Interest

Intensive Technology

New Technology Time needed for Safety History

Gene of interest with flanking sequence transferred

Transgenic Crops: Transgenic Crops: Development ObjectivesDevelopment Objectives

Integrated pest managementHerbicide toleranceNutritional enhancementsProduct quality improvementIncrease in yieldStress tolerancePlant based pharmaceuticals

GLOBAL SCENARIO 2006:GLOBAL SCENARIO 2006:Crops approved for commercial useCrops approved for commercial useFirst crop introduced was Flavr Savr tomato in USA in 1995So far 20 crops approved for commercial cultivation in different countriesOnly four crops being marketed commercially I.e., corn, cotton, soybean and canolaCommercial production initiated for papaya, squash, rice and alfalfa in USA and other countries, Others are approved but not yet being marketedMajor characteristics are insect resistance, herbicide tolerance, virus resistance and improved product qualityMajor countries include USA, Canada, Japan, China, India, Brazil, EU, Argentina, South Africa

GLOBAL SCENARIO 2006:GLOBAL SCENARIO 2006:

Area Under CultivationArea Under CultivationArea under cultivation: 102 million hectares

No. of countries: 22

No. of farmers: over 10 million

Global area of transgenic crops from 1996 to 2006

(million hectares)

GLOBAL SCENARIO 2006: GLOBAL SCENARIO 2006:

Crops Under ResearchCrops Under Research

63 countries involved at various stages57 plants identified for developmentSecond generation of traits include modifications such as nutritional enhancement, disease tolerance, stress tolerance and production of pharmaceuticals

STATUS OF GM CROPS IN INDIA:STATUS OF GM CROPS IN INDIA:Crops approved for commercial useCrops approved for commercial use

Only one crop approved i.e. Bt cotton Three hybrids containing Cry1Ac gene approved in 2002 and one in 2004Six hybrids approved for northern states in 200562 hybrids approved for Kharif 2006Three new events approved I.e.

i. Cry1Ac gene (event 1) by M/s J.K. Agri Seeds Ltd.

ii. Fusion genes (cry 1Ab+cry 1Ac) 'GFM by M/s Nath Seeds

iii. Stacked genes cry1Ac and cry1Ab by M/s MAHYCO

Area under Bt cotton cultivation

Bt Cotton Hybrids Approved in IndiaBt Cotton Hybrids Approved in India

VCH 111 BtVikki Agrotech Pvt Ltd

RCH 377 Bt., RCH –144 Bt, RCH –118 Bt, RCH - 138 Bt

Rasi Seeds

PRCH-102 Bt.Pravardhan Seeds Ltd.

NCEH-2RNath Seeds Ltd.

MECH 12 Bt *, MRC 7301 BG II, MRC-7326 BG II, MRC-7347 BG II

MAHYCO

KDCHH 9821 Bt., KDCHH-441 BG IIKrishidhan Seeds Pvt. Ltd.

JK Varun Bt.J.K.Agri Genetics Seeds Ltd.

GK 205 Bt., GK 204 Bt.Ganga Kaveri Seeds Pvt. Ltd.

Ankur – 09Ankur Seeds Ltd

ACH-11-2 BG IIAjeet Seeds Ltd.CentralMRC – 6301 BtMAHYCO

Ankur – 651 BtAnkur Seeds LtdCentral & North

RCH – 134 Bt, RCH 308 Bt., RCH – 317 Bt, RCH 314 Bt.Rasi Seeds Ltd

NCS 138 Bt.Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd

NCEH-6RNath Seeds Ltd.

MRC – 6304 Bt, MRC 6029 Bt., MRC-6025 Bt.MAHYCO

JKCH 1947 BtJ.K. Agri Genetics Seeds Ltd.

Ankur 2534 BtAnkur Seeds LtdNorthHybridCompanyZone

RCH – 20 Bt, RCH – 368 Bt, RCH 111 BG I, RCH-371 BG I, RCHB-708 BG I

Rasi Seeds Ltd

PCH-2270 Bt.Prabhat Seeds Ltd.

NCEH-3 RNath Seeds Ltd.

MRC – 6322 Bt, MRC – 6918 Bt, MRC-7351 BG II, MRC 7201 BG II

MAHYCO

JK Durga Bt, JKCH-99 BtJK Agri Genetics Ltd.

GK-209 Bt., GK-207 Bt.Ganga KaveriSouth

NCS-913 Bt.Nuziveedu Seeds LtdNorth/Central/ South

VICH 5 Bt., VICH 9 Bt.Vikram Seeds Pvt. Ltd.

Tulasi 4 Bt., Tulasi 117 Bt.Tulasi Seeds Pvt. Ltd.

RCH 2 BtRasi Seeds Ltd

NPH 2171 Bt.Prabhat Seeds Ltd.

NCS – 207 Mallika, NCS – 145 BunnyNuziveedu Seeds Ltd.

MECH 162 Bt* , MECH 184 Bt*MAHYCO

KDCHH 9810 Bt., KDCHH 9632 Bt.Krishidhan Seeds Pvt. Ltd.

Brahma Bt.Emergent Genetics

ACH-33-1 Bt., ACH-155-1Ajeet Seeds Ltd.Central & SouthHybridCompanyZone

Crops Under Research

Crops Under Development and Crops Under Development and Field TrialsField Trials

11 crops under various stages of contained field trialsInclude brinjal, cotton, cabbage, corn, groundnut, pigeon pea, castor, tomato, rice, okra and cauliflowerTraits include insect resistance, herbicide tolerance, virus resistance, nutritional enhancement, salt tolerance, fungal resistance