BIOTECHNOLOGY IN

PLANT PATHOLOGY

SCOPE AND IMPORTANCE

Pl. Path 604

What is biotechnology? Biology+ technology

i.e. involves the exploitation of biological agents or their components for generating userful products/ services

Biotechnology can be defined as “the use of living microorganisms in systems or processes for the manufacture of useful products, it may be algae, yeast, fungi, bacteria, virus or cells of higher plants and animals or their subsystems or isolated components from living matter

(Gibbs and Greenhalgh, 1983)

Biotech- Blend of technologies An interdisciplinary activity- of basic sciences

and engineering

Microbiology

Chemistry & Biochemistry

Genetics

Molecular Biology

Immunology

Physiology

Engineering

Old & New Biotechnology Though the term biotech. is of recent origin but

the discipline itself is very old

Man started exploiting/ employing organisms as early as 5000 BC for making wine, vinegar and curd etc.

Such processes which are based on capabilities of micro-organism etc. are commonly considered as old biotechnology

1st world war prompted the use of microorganisms for the

production of different product on commercial scale ---------

-------Old Biotechnology

German were forced to develop technology for the production of glycerol (used for production of explosives) due to disruption of vegetable oil by Britishers

British produced acetone-butanol fermentation using Clostridium acteobutylicum due to German interference with normal supply of these.

Production of citric acid using Aspergillus niger due to destruction of citrus orchards in world war I.

Production of penicillin (Penicillium notatum)

Ancient Biotechnology Fermentation- the bulk of modern

biotech industry was known to our

ancestors- Dravidians and Aryans

approx. four thousand yrs ago

By early 20th century the

microorganisms were exploited to

produce specific products such as

citric acid from sugar and acetone

from corn mash

In 1928, Scottish microbiologist,

Alexander Fleming isolated

antibiotic producing mold

(Penicillium notatum) and named

the chemical Penicillin

Penicillin was used to save thousands of lives

during World War II

Since then man continued his quest

for : Improving the natural capabilities of

microorganisms,

Making them capable of novel processes and

Discovering microorganisms with new capabilities

all these thrusts have led to the development of Recombinant DNA technology which allows man to modify organisms and other microorganisms to create in them highly valuable novel and naturally non-existent capabilities.

------------ New Biotechnology

Eg. Human insulin genome transferred and

expressed into E. coli and insulin produced by these genetically engineered microbes (GEMs), being used to manage diabetes.

Improvement of crop varieties for useful traits.

Transgenic plants resistant to viral infection e.g. Papaya ring spot virus

These few and numerous examples constitute New Biotechnology

Scope and Importance

Biotech. has rapidly emerged as an area of activity having marked impact on almost all domains of human welfare ranging from:

Plant sciences, Food processing, protecting environment, protection, production and productivity, trade, economics and economy

Human health

Employment: being new and emerging field require huge infrastructure and Human Resource

Commercial potential

Unlimited potential

In 1991, about 130 biotechnologically derived pharmaceuticals were under review in USA

Contribution of Biotech products to global market was between $60-199 billion and it is on the rise.

Similarly in India demand fro such products was around Rs 27 billion for 1995 and Rs 55 billion by 2002 Major share of this demand was in

Human health

Industrial products

Agriculture sector.

Biotechnology in Plant Pathology

Molecular Detection and identification of plant pathogens

Identification and tagging of resistance genes (MAS)

Development of resistant cultivars

Gene pyramiding

Exploitation of biocontrol agents in disease/ pest management

Strain improvement

Development of resistant transgenics

Biotechnology in India

Importance of Biotech. Highlighted in 69th session of Indian Science Congress held at Mysore, 1982

National Biotechnology Board established

DBT- 1986 under the ministry of Science and technology

Biotechnology Research Centers: IARI

NDRI, Karnal

IVRI, Izat Nagar

National research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, IARI (1993)

Areas To Cover

Adoption & Benefits

Regulatory Policy

Liability

Improvements most often delivered through

biotechnology

Herbicide tolerance Enable improved weed control

measures

Insect resistance

Enable improved pest management

Disease resistance Papaya

Tomato

Capsicum

Products in the Market High-performance cooking oils -- reduce

need for processing, create healthier food products (sunflower, peanuts, soybeans)

Delayed-ripening fruits and vegetables -- superior flavor, color, texture (tomatoes)

Food enzymes -- purer, more stable form of chymosin used in cheese production -- the first biotechnology food product

Transgenic plant resistant to Viruses and pests.

Global Area of Transgenic Crops, 1996 to 2000: By Crop (million hectares)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Soybean

Corn

Cotton

Canola

Source: Clive James, 2000

Crops improved through biotechnology that are grown most frequently:

Soybeans

Corn

Cotton

Canola

Global Area of Transgenic Crops, 1996 to 2000: By Trait (million hectares)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Herbicide tolerance

Insect resistance

Herbicide tolerance /Insect resistance

Source: Clive James, 2000

Global Area of Transgenic Crops, 1996 to 2000; Industrial and Developing Countries

(million hectares)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Industrial

Developing

Source: Clive James, 2000

Global Area Adoption Rates (%) for Principal Transgenic Crops (million hectares)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Soybean Cotton Canola Maize

Nontransgenic

Transgenic

Source: Clive James, 2000

Biotech Crops-Percent of Plantings - U.S.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Soybeans Cotton Corn

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

1999 figures are based on a survey of BIO member seed sales.

2000-02 figures are based on USDA/NASS

2003 figures are estimates of USDA, NASS 3/31/03

2

13

37

47

54

68

74

80

45

48

61

69 71

70

25

37

32 34

Biotech Crop Plantings-U.S.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Soybeans Cotton Corn

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003*1

9

27

35

45.4

51.3 58.5

5.8

7

9.4

11.1

10.5

10

20

28.3

26.9

*2003 estimates, USDA, NASS 3/31/03

Biotech crops in india (2011)

India grew 7% 160 of the global biotech crop hectarage of million hectares in 2011.

There are 16 biotech crops in field trials in India including Bt maize, HT maize and Bt/HT maize which, subject to regulatory approval could be deployed commercially within 2 to 3 years

Agri-biotech industry annual revenues grew consistently during the 2002 to 2011 period: agribiotech industry market increased 22-fold from Rs.110 crore (US$25 million) in 2002-2003 to Rs. 2480 crore (US$551 million) in 2010-11.

Economic Impact

With crops improved through

biotechnology, the key commodity is

information, and this is carried in the

seed itself. Further, its delivery is

scale neutral and not capital

intensive for the farmer.

Through the 8 crop varieties widely planted in the U.S. to date, biotechnology has:

Increased yields by 4 billion pounds

Saved growers $1.2 billion annually

Reduced pesticide use by 46 million pounds annually

-Leonard Gianessi

National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy