Introduction

The eggplant is one of the most important vegetables consumed in South Asia and the Philippines. In the latter region, eggplant production accounts for 28% of the total volume of vegetables, which amounted to a total of 179,000 metric tons in 2002. Its value of production is estimated at 1.809 billion pesos, the highest among the leading vegetables, with the crop planted over more than 20,000 hectares, and with average land holdings from 0.5- 2.0 hectares and a year-round production scheme.

The average yield of eggplant per hectare in the Philippines, however, is 9.95 tons, 5-6 tons lower than the average yield in Asia. This is due to chronically high infestations of fruit and shoot borer, the most serious pest of eggplant in the regions mentioned. In the Philippines, damage by this pest starts soon after transplanting and continues until the harvest of fruit, with reported yield losses from 54% to 70%, and with no available commercial varieties resistant to the pests.

Among the control options, the use of chemical insecticides has been the most common. In Asia, chemical spraying accounts for 24% of the total cost of production, as farmers spray an average of 80 times over the 7-month cropping season. This excessive pesticide use threatens the health of farmers and consumers, and makes the eggplant fruit more costly. In the meantime, the insect is becoming resistant to the chemicals, making it more difficult to control eventually.

Objective

To develop and commercialize transgenic open pollinated fruit and shoot borer resistant eggplant for resource-limited farmers in India, Bangladesh, and the Philippines through public private partnerships with Mahyco.

Status of the Technology

Mahyco, a hybrid seed company based in India, in collaboration with Monsanto, has developed a transgenic eggplant variety designed to be inherently resistant to the fruit and shoot borer. The technology involves one event containing the Bt Cry 1Ac gene conventionally bred into twelve (12) Mahyco eggplant varieties and hybrids, with different types of fruits for different regional preferences. This transgenic eggplant is currently undergoing initial field trials for efficacy and biosafety in India. Indications are that the initial products can be commercialized by December 2006, barring unforeseen circumstances.

Mahyco has expressed willingness to transfer the technology, as well as to provide capacity building and regulatory compliance support to public institutions in India, Bangladesh, and the Philippines for development of pro-poor varieties. Mahyco also has agreed to work with the private sector in Bangladesh and the Philippines toward the development and commercialization of hybrids on mutually acceptable terms.

Potential Benefits

Initial assessment by ABSPII reflects considerable socio-economic benefits from the project. A detailed socio-economic assessment has been initiated under the leadership of Dr.Matin Quim of Hohenheim University in Germany. Based on his study, the Bt eggplant has the potential to benefit 700,000 farmers in India, Bangladesh, and Philippines, majority of whom will be resource constrained.

Collaborators

ABSPII , as the major funding agency will support IIVR, TNAU, Dharwad, BARI and IPB-UPLB from technology acquisition until commercialization.

Countries for deployment include India, Bangladesh, and the Philippines. Collaborators are the Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco), the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), and selected institutions of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in India; East West Seeds and the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) in Bangladesh; and the Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB) and selected institutes at the University of the Philippines (UPLB) Los Baños, the Philippine Council for Agriculture Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD), Department of Agriculture-Biotechnology Project Implementation Unit (DA-PIU), and the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) in the Philippines.