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Two Philippine Scientists Train on Transgenic Eggplant in India
Two women scientists from the Institute of Plant Breeding, University of the Philippines Los Baños (IPB-UPLB), Dr. Josefina O. Narciso, a plant breeder and Dr. Lourdes Taylo, an entomologist, spent six weeks in India, from November 11-December 18, 2004 to initiate the development of transgenic eggplant for the Philippines. This is part of the overall ABSPII product strategy to develop and commercialize fruit and shoot borer-resistant (FSBR) eggplant in South Asia and the Philippines through public-private partnership with Mahyco. Eggplant is the most important vegetable consumed in South Asia and the Philippines, but production is plagued by chronically high infestation of fruit and shoot borer, leading farmers to apply pesticides at exceptionally high rates. Mahyco, in collaboration with Monsanto, has developed highly-resistant transgenic eggplant that is currently undergoing initial field trials for efficacy and biosafety in India. Mahyco has expressed a willingness to transfer the technology, provide capacity building and provide regulatory compliance support to public institutions in India, Bangladesh and the Philippines for development of pro-poor eggplant varieties. At the Mahyco Research Center in Jalna, the two scientists received specialized training and assistance from Mahyco scientists to make the initial crosses between the Mahyco resistant donor parent variety and selected Philippine varieties; insect mass rearing technique and baseline susceptibility studies; diagnostic tests such as ELISA and the Mahyco gene check strip and soil sampling assay. In addition to the hybridization work and the training in laboratory techniques, they were also allowed to attend and participate in a workshop on biosafety regulatory policies in India and to present a seminar on the eggplant R&D and in the Philippines. Dr. Narciso and Dr. Taylo also spent time visiting multi-location field trial sites of transgenic eggplant in Solapur, Jalna and Tumkur, Bangalore. The visits provided the Philippine scientists with the opportunity to compare field performance of transgenic vs. non-transgenic eggplants and to have hands-on training and exposure in regulatory protocol compliance. The visits also gave a chance for the scientists to interact with Indian colleagues who offered suggestions and insights that will be useful in the conduct of the transgenic eggplant project in the Philippines. Further development of the product of the hybridization work done in India will be conducted at IPB-UPLB in the Philippines in 2005 under the supervision of the Philippine biosafety regulatory agencies. It is envisioned that that the products can be commercialized in 2007 after it passed all regulatory requirements for variety release. |
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