Specific goal: Effective transgenic events for high priority traits that can be commercialized

Outputs:

1. Transgenic chickpea, pigeonpea and groundnut varieties for resistance to insect pests and fungal pathogens
2. Groundnut varieties for resistance to important viruses
3. Nutritionally-enhanced groundnut and pigeonpea varieties
4. Water-stress tolerant groundnut and chickpea varieties
5. Research materials for analyses of gene effects on phenotypes

For effective Research in Genetic Engineering, ICRISAT recognizes the importance of the application of genetic engineering technologies for the genetic enhancement of its mandate crops. Extensive efforts have been made at ICRISAT over the past decade to develop in vitro tissue culture and transformation systems for the production of transgenic plants of our mandate crops. Major emphasis has been on developing transformation systems that are efficient, reproducible, and can be successfully transferred to national agricultural research system (NARS) partners. Tissue culture and transformation methods based on Agrobacterium -mediated gene transfer for groundnut, pigeonpea, and chickpea, and for sorghum through biolistics are now available for routine applications.

While the transgenic technology provides tremendous opportunities to address the specific needs of resource-poor farmers, ICRISAT is aware of the concerns of the public related to the regulatory processes and safety of the products of genetic engineering. We hope that as such products are developed under the public research system and are made available to the farmers without restrictions and additional costs, and that there will be greater acceptance by society. Continual monitoring of public concerns and associated dissemination of accurate public information will be critical to ensure the highest probability of releasing GM crops.

In developing its strategy for genetic modification of its mandate crops, ICRISAT has emphasized the need for partners at the international level, and biosafety of GE products at the farmers' level. Based on the ICRISAT Vision and Strategy Document, the following guidelines are followed as the Center's Policy on Genetically Engineered Crops (GECs):

• ICRISAT's strategies for the development and deployment of GEC's are guided principally by the CGIAR's policy and its modification from time to time.
• ICRISAT will maintain an open door policy on the information related to the development and deployment of GECs.
• ICRISAT's research on GECs will primarily focus on solving the problems that constrain the production and productivity of its mandate crops.
• ICRISAT's focus is on using natural or synthetic genes for genetic transformation from closely related wild relatives, other plants, bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
• ICRISAT will not use any genes or gene constructs that are prohibited (e.g., terminator technology) by CGIAR and/or the country of intended deployment.
• Plant varieties that are genetically engineered by ICRISAT will be developed, tested and deployed in concert with national program partners to meet a delineated need.
• ICRISAT will provide training to NARS scientists and share the information so as to facilitate the transfer of technology for effective deployment of GECs.
• ICRISAT will provide transformed plants that have been well characterized molecularly and biologically under pre-field and/or field screening conditions to the NARS, or provide partially characterized transformed plants to project collaborators responsible for such characterization.
• ICRISAT will work on GECs only in countries that have biosafety legislation or guidelines.
• ICRISAT will seek formal permission from concerned governments prior to transfer of GECs for research and deployment, or follow current government biosafety policies where such formal permission is no longer required.
• ICRISAT will pursue active research in collaboration with NARS and ARIs on biosafety and deployment of GECs.

Genetic transformation technology relies on the technical aspects of plant tissue culture and molecular biology to develop commercial products. The major components for the development of transgenic plants are: (i) the development of reliable tissue culture regeneration systems, (ii) preparation of gene constructs for transformation with suitable vectors, (iii) efficient techniques of transformation for the introduction of genes into the crop plants, (iv) recovery and multiplication of transgenic plants, (v) molecular and genetic characterization of transgenic plants for stable and efficient gene expression, (vi) transfer of genes to elite cultivars by conventional breeding methods if required, and (vii) evaluation of transgenic plants for their effectiveness in providing the desired characteristic and general field performance, For commercialization of transgenic crops, additional aspects must be addressed, including (i) biosafety assessment including food, feed and environmental safety, (ii) intellectual property rights, and (iii) consumer acceptance.

The transformation protocols developed at ICRISAT-India are now routinely used to introduce diverse genes for the genetic enhancement of ICRISAT mandate crops. The success with initial genetic transformations have resulted in the first contained field tests for groundnut for resistance to Indian peanut clump virus (IPCV), and pigeonpea and chickpea for resistance to the legume pod borer. A large number of transgenic plants carrying genes for resistance to viruses (groundnut), insect pests (pigeonpea, chickpea and sorghum), fungal pathogens (groundnut, pigeonpea and chickpea), tolerance to drought stress (groundnut and chickpea) and nutritional enhancement (groundnut and pigeonpea) are being produced and characterized. These transgenics are in different generations, and are being studied for gene expression and inheritance, and their efficacy against the respective constraints.

In 2002, ICRISAT carried out the first contained field trial of transgenic groundnut for resistance to the IPCV at Patancheru , India , and this has been repeated during 2003-2005 to select promising events. In addition, the first contained field-testing of transgenic pigeonpea and chickpea for insect resistance were carried out during 2003 and 2004/2005, respectively. With the experiences gained in developing transformation technologies for our mandate crops, carrying out contained field-testing at Patancheru, communicating biotechnology to the media, and transfer of technology through training, we are in a strong position to undertake such activities in partnerships with the NARS and the private sector in India, and other regions of Asia and Africa . This will enable ICRISAT to develop appropriate strategies for the testing of its transgenic crops under contained and open field conditions, and their possible deployment through the development of commercialization packages in the future.

In the future, delivery of the products of transgenic technology will be carried out through collaborations with NARS partners ensuring that the farmers do not have any restrictions on the use of such products. These strategies will allow ICRISAT to effectively use the transgenic technology in conjunction with conventional plant breeding for sustainable crop improvement in the semi-arid tropics.

In 2005, a scientist was employed to initiate efforts to transfer the most promising transgenic lines and appropriate transformation technology to Africa. The scientist is based in the Biosciences Eastern and Central Africa (BecA) facility in Nairobi, Kenya. While additional staff will be required to adequately handle the needs in Africa, this initial effort will provide links with the NARS in East and Southern Africa to evaluate specific transgenic products and to transfer genetic engineering capacity to the region.

For further information, contact: Kiran Sharma (India) or Santie deVilliers (Africa)