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Rice - Bangladesh
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DROUGHT AND SALINITY TOLERANT (DST) RICE |
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| Introduction: |
Rice is an essential crop for food security, poverty alleviation and improved livelihoods in Asia. Over 2 billion people obtain 60-70% of their food energy from rice. About four fifths of the world’s rice is grown by small-scale farmers in low income countries. Rice production employs 1 billion people and is essential to the economic development of rural areas in India, Bangladesh and Southeast Asia.
Drought and high salt concentrations in soil are major constraints to agricultural production in Bangladesh and India. As the population in Asia increases, farmers are under pressure to produce more rice on less available arable land.
The application of biotechnology to introduce stress-tolerant genes into crop plants may be effective in addressing the problems associated with drought and high salinity. Prof. Ray Wu’s laboratory at Cornell University has demonstrated that stress tolerance in plants can be induced by manipulating the genes that are responsible for the accumulation of the sugar “trehalose.”
ABSPII has been instrumental in negotiating the transfer of the trehalose genes to researchers in India and Bangladesh. The genes are currently being introduced into locally adapted rice varieties. If this strategy proves effective, ABSPII will support commercialization so that seed will be available to resource-poor farmers. |
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| Project Manager: |
K Vijayraghavan, Regional Coordinator, South Asia |
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| Participating Countries : |
Bangladesh, India |
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| Term: |
2004-2008 |
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| Partners: |
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| 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. |
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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. |
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| Partners Within the Country: |
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) |
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| 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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