The Hindu Business Line : Pest-resistant GM pea from Icrisat

THE International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat) has launched field trials for genetically modified pigeon pea that is resistant to the insect pest, the legume pod borer.

The pod borer caused 50 per cent of the pest-induced losses for all crops in the country during 1997-98 cropping season. It was estimated that the crop losses cost the country $475 million (about Rs 2,137 crore), despite the use of insecticides worth $211 million (about Rs 949.5 crore).

According to the Icrisat Director-General, Dr William Dar, the successful genetic modification of pigeon pea, enabling the crop to resist the pod borer attack, signifies a scientific breakthrough. "This is an important step that addresses the specific needs of the poor farmers of the semi-arid tropics through an effective biotechnological intervention," Dr Dar stated in a press release here on Wednesday.

A group of Icrisat scientists led by Dr K.K. Sharma at the institute's Genetic Transformation Laboratory developed the technology for genetically transforming pigeon pea, and introduced the synthetic Bt Cry 1 Ab gene that offers resistance to the pod borer.

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