India Boosts Import for R&D of Transgenic Crops

A new research study Import and Commercialization of Transgenic Crops: An Indian Perspective published in the recent issue of Asian Biotechnology and Development Review (ABDR) reveals a surge in the import of transgenic materials for R&D of transgenic crops in India. Between 1997 to 2008, a total of 79 consignments of transgenic planting materials have been imported from different countries through the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR). NBPGR is a nodal agency for import and quarantine processing of transgenic planting materials for various public and private research institutions engaged in R&D of transgenic crops.

The imported crops included cabbage, Indian mustard, rapeseed, chickpea, soybean, tomato, tobacco, rice, potato, wheat and corn. Out of these imported transgenic crops, the maximum number of imports consisted of cotton followed by maize and rice. The predominant trait in these imported crops is for imparting resistance to lepidopteran insects followed by herbicide tolerance. A maximum number of transgenes have been introduced in rice including AmA1 gene and ferritin genes for improved nutrition, cry1Ac, cry1C, cry2A, cry19C and GFM-cry1A genes for resistance against lepidopteran insects, cry1Ab gene for resistance to stem borer, cp4epsps gene for herbicide tolerance, Xa21 gene for resistance to bacterial leaf blight, PR genes for resistance to sheath borer, bar gene for resistance to glufosinate ammonium herbicide, HAS, ScFv & AFP-AG genes for nematode resistance, and the genes for phytoene synthase, phytoene desaturase, and lycopene cyclase involved in the synthesis of β-carotene in the endosperm of golden rice.

The study examines the pattern of import in a range of crops for different traits over the last decade and attempts to understand the gap between the pace at which the transgenic crops are being imported by public and private sectors and their actual commercialization.

The study concludes that harnessing optimum benefits of transgenic crops while sustaining our valuable biodiversity hinges on systematic development, import and commercialization of transgenic crops along with strong public and private sector collaboration. It also addresses the concerns regarding potential impacts of transgenic crops on environment and human health and proposes to make a strong collaboration between public and private sectors to adequately address the biosafety issues.

For a full copy of the study, contact Dr. Gurinder Jit Randhawa at gjr@nbpgr.ernet.in Visit Asian Biotechnology and Development Review (ABDR) website at http://www.ris.org.in/abdr.html For more information about biotech development in India contact b.choudhary@cgiar.org and k.gaur@cgiar.org