Scientists also working on transgenic soya, potato.
Come 2012 and Indian farmers will have their own transgenic cotton. They will not have to depend on seed companies for transgenic cotton seed and can be the consumers of their own cotton crop.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed a new transgenic variety of cotton, which is under trial at different locations. The Council is also involved in similar experiments in 12 crops, including gram (chana), tur, potato, papaya, brinjal and castor seed.
Meanwhile Bhopal-based National Soyabean Research Centre has begun experiments to develop two varieties of soybean to combat yellow mosaic virus (YMV) and drought-like conditions. It is also developing a transgenic variety of potato.
Speaking to Business Standard, ICAR Director-General and Union Government Secretary Mangala Rai said, “The new cotton variety will be known as ‘Bikaneri Narma’. It is under trial at various locations. The seed which Indian farmers use is actually a hybrid variety. They have to be dependent on seed companies for transgenic cotton. The new variety will be available to them in two years’ time.”
Two more transgenic varieties are under research at the National Soyabean Research Institute. “As of now, we have soybean varieties such as JS 9752, which is resistant to YMV. Varieties such as NRC-7 and GS-9560 can germinate even in low rain-fed area. We have started research work on developing transgenic varieties in soybean that will be resistant to YMV and will grow in drought-like conditions,” a senior scientist at the centre said.
Every year, India incurs at least a 12 per cent loss in its annual yield of soybean due to more than 100 known pathogens — fungi, bacteria, viruses, phytoplasma, spiroplasma and nematodes.
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Rai also said ICAR has recently introduced the AmA1 gene in potato plants to increase its protein content by 50 per cent. AmA1 is a seed albumin gene encoded for a protein of high lysine and sulfur containing amino acids from amaranth seeds, a plant which is used by Indian women during fast.
“A potato contains 2 per cent protein. If we increase the protein content, it could go up to 3 per cent. But, the expression of AmA1 in transgenic plants results in a significant increase in growth and tuber yield. Transgenic tubers contain more total protein as compared to control potato tubers.
As potato is highly consumed in India, the protein content will be greatly enhanced in the normal diet.