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Eggplant - Bangladesh

Project:	FRUIT AND SHOOT BORER RESISTANT (FSBR) EGGPLANT

Introduction:	Eggplant is one of the most nutritious and culturally important vegetables commonly consumed in South and South East Asia. Unfortunately, the production of marketable eggplant is compromised due to extreme infestation of the insect commonly known as the eggplant fruit and shoot borer. To control this insect pest, farmers often spray hazardous pesticides every other day. The introduction of the Cry1Ac gene from the naturally occurring bacteriium (Bacillus thuringiensis) has the potential to render eggplants resistant to these insects and reduce pesticide load for the farmer. The Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco) has developed an eggplant bioengineered for Cry1Ac. These eggplants demonstrate resistance to the fruit and shoot borer. Mahyco is currently conducting field trials in India to assess the commercial potential of this technology in hybrid eggplant varieties. ABSPII is supporting Mahyco in gaining regulatory approval for the technology and the efforts of public institutions in India, Bangladesh, and the Philippines to develop and commercialize the same Bt technology. This public-private partnership with Mahyco will make affordable seed available to resource-poor farmers, help reduce the need for excessive pesticide use and dramatically increase eggplant yield. When commercialized, the Bt eggplant has potential to benefit 700,000 farmers in India, Bangladesh, and the Philippines, a majority of whom will be resource-constrained small farmers.

Project Manager:	K Vijayraghavan, Regional Coordinator, South Asia

Participating Countries :	Bangladesh, India, Philippines

Term:	2004-2008

Partners:	Bangladesh Agricultural Research Center (BARC), Bangladesh Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Bangladesh Cornell University - College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), USA Department of Agriculture - Biotechnology Project Implementation Unit (DA-Biotech/PIU) East West Seeds Ltd., Bangladesh Government of India - Department of Biotechnology (DBT), India Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR), Varanasi, India International Service for the Acquisition of Agribiotech Applications (ISAAA) - Southeast Asia Center, Philippines Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Company (MAHYCO), India Sathguru Management Consultants Pvt. Ltd., India Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), India University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad (UAS-D), India University of the Philippines, Los Baños (UPLB) - Chancellor’s Office and Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB), Philippines University of the Philippines, Los Baños (UPLB) - College of Agriculture (CA) - Crop Protection Cluster (CPC), Philippines

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.