The technology transfer agreement for Fruit and Shoot Borer Resistant (FSBR) eggplant was signed on January 30, 2006 at the Office of the Chancellor, University of Philippines, Los Banos (UPLB) to facilitate the commercialization of the Bt Eggplant varieties in Philippines.
The agreement between the Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Company (Mahyco), UPLB and Sathguru Management Consultants will help expedite the transfer of seeds of the crosses produced between the Mahyco Bt parental line and selected Philippine varieties.
Chancellor of the University of Philippines, Los Banos Rey Luis I. Velasco signs the technology transfer agreement between UPLB, Mahyco and Sathguru in the presence of ABSPII co-director Dr. Ronnie Coffman, ABSPII south Asia regional co-ordination office representative Mr. K Ragunathan, ABSPII South East Asia regional co-ordinator Desiree Hautea and other UPLB members.
The agreement was signed between Mahyco, the technology donor, represented by its Director for Research Dr. Brent Zehr, Sathguru Management Consultants Private Limited, as technology facilitator, represented by its Director Kannan Ragunathan, and UPLB, represented by its Chancellor Rey Luis I. Velasco. Dr. Ronnie Coffman, co-director of ABSP II and director of the International Programs of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, and Dr. Desiree Hautea, director of the Institute of Plant Breeding, UPLB and ABSPII-Southeast Asia Regional Coordinator were present on the occasion.
Among several important personalities present during the ceremony were Dr. Cecilio Arboleda, Executive Director of UPLB – Foundation Incorporated, Dr. Enrico Supangco, Vice-Chancellor for Research and Extension, Dr. Rita Laude, Vice-chancellor for Instruction, Dr. Florinia Merca, Director of the Office for Institutional Linkages, and Professor Stella Tirol, Director of Public Relations.
The Hindu Business Line : (Friday, Jul 29, 2005)
TNAU set to begin GM brinjal field trials
Our Bureau
Coimbatore , July 28
THE Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) will soon take for field trials a genetically modified eggplant that is resistant to fruit and shoot borer.
Fruit and shoot borer have been affecting eggplant yield in a big way and the GM brinjal is likely to help in overcoming this problem.
After successful completion of the trials, the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University is proposing to distribute the seeds to thebrinjal farmers on cost basis.
The Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco) has developed the technology after receiving the representative seeds from the varsity. Dr Usha B. Zehr, Joint Director (Research) of Mahyco, handed over the backcrossed seeds to the TNAU Vice- Chancellor, Dr C. Ramaswamy, during the recently held `Insect Resistant Management' meeting.
Earlier, the Professor and Head of the Department of Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Dr P. Balasubramanian, said India and China accounted for nearly 84 per cent of the world's production of brinjal. However, this important vegetable crop was plagued by high infestation of the fruit and shoot borer pest, forcing extensive pesticide application to curb the pest menace and eventual damage to the crop.
Estimates suggest that the crop loss due to pest and disease infestation ranged between 54 and 70 per cent in India. It touched a 100 per cent if the loss due to fruit and shoot borer was also factored.
The frequent and heavy spraying of chemical pesticides, scientists apprehend, would have adverse impact on the environment besides increasing the production cost.
"To provide a global solution to this problem, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded consortium, Agricultural Biotechnology Support Programme (ABSP) II of the Cornell University devised a strategy that brought together public and private institutions in various countries, including India. With the efforts of the ABSP II team and Sathguru Management Consultants, Hyderabad, a private-public partnership with a number of global partners was constituted. In partnership with Mahyco, public sector institutions are engaged in developing transgenic varieties," Dr Balasubramanian said.
News Update as at 17.00 hrs (IST)
Agri-Business
Transgenic seeds - the white hope of brinjal growers
COIMBATORE: Farmers burdened by yield losses in brinjal crops due to fruit and shoot borer insect pest now have a ray of hope.
For Mahyco, one of the largest private hybrid seed companies, has developed a backcrossed transgenic seed of fruit and shoot borer resistant brinjal, also known as eggplant, for the benefit of farmers.
The seeds have been handed over to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) for further development and validation, which, after successful field trials, would be distributed to farmers on cost basis, University sources said.
Brinjal is one of the most important vegetables consumed in the sub-tropics and tropics and China and India are the major producers, together accounting for nearly 84 per cent of the world production.
However, production was plagued by chronically high infestation of fruit and shoot borer pest, forcing farmers to apply pesticides at exceptionally high rates.
According to an estimate, the crop loss due to pest and diseases in India ranged from 54 to 70 per cent. The sources said that because of severe yield losses, farmers used many toxic chemicals repeatedly. - PTI
