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| Project: |
TOBACCO STREAK VIRUS RESISTANT (TSVR) GROUNDNUT |
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| Introduction: |
In India, groundnut is an important oil, food and forage crop and millions of farmers depend on its cultivation for their livelihoods. Groundnut farmers face severe yield losses due to a virus called the Tobacco Streak Virus (TSV). This virus kills the stem of the plant, often devastating the entire crop. A TSV outbreak in India in 2000 resulted in serious losses exceeding USD 65 million. Another equally disastrous episode occurred four years later. Reduced groundnut production due to TSV leads to both financial loss and food insecurity for resource-limited farmers.
Unfortunately, there is no known resistance gene in groundnut to help fight this devastating virus. However, through advances in plant biotechnology, part of the virus can be introduced into groundnut, essentially vaccinating it against TSV infection.
ABSPII will help Indian researchers develop the anti-viral technology and introduce it into locally adapted varieties. ABSPII will also facilitate commercialization so that TSV-resistant groundnut may be made available to resource-poor farmers at affordable prices. |
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| Project Manager: |
K Vijayraghavan, Regional Coordinator, South Asia |
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| Participating Countries : |
India |
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| Term: |
2004-2008 |
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| Partners: |
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| Technology: |
Viruses are encapsulated by a coat protein (CP) that acts as a protective cage for the virus. It has been well documented in many plants that introduction of a specific viral coat protein can render plant resistant to the target virus. The TSV coat protein gene from the virus that occurs in India was transformed into a local variety of groundnut, essentially vaccinating it against the virus, through its own defense mechanism. |
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| Project Status: |
The TSV coat protein gene was isolated and prepared for transfer into groundnut at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. The TSV coat protein was transferred into groundnut and now those plants are being propagated and analyzed in greenhouses at ICRISAT.
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| Expected Benefits : |
- High quality groundnut seed available on the market at affordable prices.
- Reduction of crop loss due to tobacco streak virus.
- Savings in crop protection costs that might otherwise be incurred to protect from tobacco streak virus.
- Increased income and food security for small scale farmers.
- Increased ability to continue research on groundnut at ICRISAT.
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INDIA |
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| Economic Importance: |
In India groundnut is an important oilseed crop, cultivated on 7.5 million hectares, with an annual production of 8 million tons. More than nine million small and marginal farmers depend on this and other small oilseed crops for their livelihoods.
Oilseed crops such as groundnut are cultivated in unfavorable areas for agriculture, where farmers have limited options to grow other crops. The majority of these areas have a single crop in the year and farmers are dependent on the success of these crops for their sustenance as well as to feed their livestock. Groundnut is grown exclusively by small and marginal farmers who have witnessed erosion of their income by more than half due to the virus.
Farmers and their political representatives in affected areas have made finding a solution to TSV one of their highest agricultural priorities and are very supportive of the ABSPII initiative. This cooperative effort will provide an opportunity to commercialize the product once the technology and the product are tested and ready for use. |
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| Partners Within the Country: |
Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Department of Biotechnology, India
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics (ICRISAT), India
National Bureau of Plant Genetic Research, India
Sathguru Management Consultants, India |
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| Planned Activities and Milestones: |
- Researchers from India to receive technical training at the Danforth Center (USA).
- Transfer the technology to ICRISAT to test the resistance of the groundnut to TSV.
- Conduct greenhouse trials at ICRISAT.
- Implement marketing strategy and distribute groundnut through the university system and public seed distributors.
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