The Jalna-based Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Company (Mahyco) - is offering the gene `event embedded in its genetically modified (GM) brinjal to the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore (TNAU) and the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad. These SAUs would use Mahycos material for backcrossing with their already developed brinjal varieties.
So far, it was the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the State agricultural universities (SAUs) who were providing basic breeder material and technology to domestic private seed companies.
GM brinjal contains a foreign gene, cry1Ac, derived from a soil bacterium, bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). This gene synthesises a protein toxic to the fruit and shoot borer (FSB), a destructive insect pest. Its incorporation into brinjal is said to confer the crop `built-in resistance to FSB, reducing reliance on spraying pesticides. Mahyco sourced the cry1Ac gene construct for its Bt brinjal mainly from Monsanto, the US life sciences major that also has a 26 per cent stake in the former.
This event (`EE-1) was integrated into eight of the companys own brinjal hybrids (MHB 4, 9, 10, 80, 99, 11, 39, 111). In addition, Mahyco is supplying the EE-1 event to TNAU and UAS for backcrossing with their popular brinjal varieties. They include `Co-1, `PLR-1, `MDU-1 and `KKM-1 (developed by TNAU) and `Manjari Gota, `Udupi Gulla, `Malapur local, `Kudachi local, `112-GO and `Rabkavi local varieties of UAS. Significantly, farmers can use these varieties over succeeding generations, unlike Mahycos hybrids that have to be bought for every fresh sowing.
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| Posted : 7/10/2006 |
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