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Bangladesh

Project: FRUIT AND SHOOT BORER RESISTANT (FSBR) EGGPLANT
   
Project Manager: K Vijayraghavan, Regional Coordinator, South Asia
   
Participating Countries: Bangladesh, India, Philippines
   
Term: 2004-2008
   
Partners:
   
Technology: Cry 1Ac, a gene from the naturally occurring bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis, produces a protein that protects plants from some caterpillars, including the eggplant fruit and shoot borer.
   
Project Status:
  • Partnerships between private seed companies and leading research institutions in participating countries allowed promising resources to be efficiently applied to the production of FSBR Eggplant.
  • A gene (Cry1Ac) that renders eggplant resistant to the fruit and shoot borer, was transformed into Mahyco's most popular and regionally relevant eggplant varieties.
  • Data from field trials show that the bioengineered Cry1Ac technology effectively protects eggplant from fruit and shoot borer infestation.
  • In India, experiments are being conducted to confirm that the transformed eggplant is safe to eat and is environmentally sound.
  • In 2004 and 2005, our partners in India, Bangladesh and the Philippines started introducing this technology to their locally adapted varieties. The resulting varieties are undergoing biosafety and biodiversity review so they may be commercialized and made available to farmers.
  • Outreach material and other educational resources have been developed to help farmers and consumers understand the new FSBR eggplant technology.
   
Expected Benefits :
  • Resource-limited farmers stand to benefit economically from: - High quality eggplant seeds available from public-sector sources at affordable prices. - Reduced production losses from the eggplant fruit and shoot borer. - Increase in clean, marketable fruit. - Reduced production costs due to less frequent use of pesticide sprays.
  • Improved human and animal health, and less damage to the environment, as a result of less exposure to chemical pesticide sprays.
  • Improved capacity in the areas of research, licensing and communication through hands-on training, partnerships, exchange visits and workshop participation.

 

Eggplant - Bangladesh
   
Economic Importance: The eggplant is cultivated in almost all areas of Bangladesh. An estimated 8 million farmers are growing eggplant. Yield loss due to damage by the eggplant fruit and shoot borer is estimated at 54% to 70%. Small, resource poor farmers, who cannot afford to spray insecticides, are the most severely affected. Since all the varieties grown in Bangladesh are susceptible to this pest, the availability of FSBR eggplant will benefit all of the 8 million farmers who grow eggplant.
   
Partners Within the Country: Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BARC)
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI)
East West Seed Ltd., Bangladesh
   
Planned Activities and Milestones:
  • Mahyco performs initial backcrosses to locally adapted varieties.
  • Backcrossing will be completed at East-West Seeds and in BARI’s greenhouses.
  • Training of Bangladeshi scientists from public institutions and from East-West Seeds to study the new varieties and to assure safety.
  • Initiate communication and outreach efforts to educate policy makers, consumers and farmers about the use and benefits of FSBR eggplant varieties.
   

 

Project: LATE BLIGHT RESISTANT (LBR) POTATO
   
Project Manager: K. Raman, Associate Director, South Asia
   
Participating Countries: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia
   
Term: 2004-2007
   
Partners:
   
Technology: A resistance gene (called Rb) was isolated from a wild relative of potato (Solanum. bulbocastanum). When this gene is transferred to popular varieties normally affected by late blight they become resistant to the disease.
   
Project Status:
  • Scientists in partnering countries have received the Rb gene from UW and are transforming it into selected potato varieties.
  • Scientists in partnering countries have received potatoes bioengineered with the Rb gene and are crossing selected Indian varieties with these potatoes.
  • Indonesian and Indian partners are testing to determine whether the Rb gene is effective against local strains of late blight.
  • If the Rb technology is shown to be effective, efforts to develop this technology will be accelerated in each partner country.
  • Conduct preliminary socio-economic impact study.
   
Expected Benefits :
  • Small scale farmers could benefit economically from increased yields, improved potato quality and savings from reduced fungicide sprays.
  • Environmentally, soil conditions could improve from a decline in the use of fungicide sprays.
  • Countries gain access to advanced biotechnology.
  • Collaboration among potato scientists in South and South East Asia to exchange research data, field testing and commercialization of new potato varieties.

 

Potato - Bangladesh
   
Economic Importance: In Bangladesh, potato is an increasingly important crop. Farmers currently use over 20 sprays per season to control late blight. Average loss due to late blight is estimated at 30% and total losses are not uncommon.
   
Partners Within the Country: Bangladesh Agricultural Development Cooperation (BADC)
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Potato Research Center (BARI-PRC)
   
Planned Activities and Milestones:
  • Scientists at BARI have used the Rb gene from UW and are introducing it into selected potato varieties.
  • Scientists at BARI have worked in Indonesia with potatoes bioengineered with the Rb gene and are using conventional plant breeding techniques to cross them to selected domestic varieties.
  • Contained field trials will be conducted to assess effectiveness of the technology against local strains of late blight.
  • The team will conduct biosafety studies in Bangladesh.
   

 

Project: DROUGHT AND SALINITY TOLERANT (DST) RICE
   
Project Manager: K Vijayraghavan, Regional Coordinator, South Asia
   
Participating Countries: Bangladesh, India
   
Term: 2004-2008
   
Partners:
   
Technology: The technology, developed by Prof. Ray Wu at Cornell University, involves manipulating the genes required for synthesis of the naturally occurring sugar trehalose. This system is designed such that the bioengineered genes are specifically “turned on” when the plant is under drought or salt stress.
   
Project Status:
    Five generations of transgenic rice plants have been tested under greenhouse conditions at Cornell University.
    Field trials will be conducted to assess the effectiveness of this system under conventional agricultural conditions.
   
Expected Benefits :
  • Introducing advanced technology developed in the public domain will supplement the efforts of national governments to meet the challenges of food and nutritional security.
  • Increased income for marginal farmers through improved crop production.
  • A single technology will be applicable to address two individual constraints: drought and salinity.

 

Rice - Bangladesh
   
Economic Importance: In Bangladesh, the acreage available for agriculture is decreasing dramatically due to human population encroachment. In addition, changes in weather patterns are contributing to increased salinity in once fertile soil. Fewer acres and deteriorating soil conditions have put pressure on farmers, who must produce more rice under increasingly difficult conditions and fewer resources.
   
Partners Within the Country: Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI)
   
Planned Activities and Milestones:
  • BRRI has partnered with Ray Wu’s team at Cornell University to develop locally adapted rice varieties.
  • Bangladeshi partners will test the bioengineered rice varieties for biosafety and effectiveness.
   

 

  
 
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