Back in 1997, an MSSRF team led by Dr Ajay Parida went gene shopping among the coastal mangroves of Pichavaram in Cuddalore district, where these plants thrive in seawater and have a natural tolerance to high concentrations of salt. The team isolated 40 genes, and conducted characterisation and expression studies. They were incorporated into three target crops, a cereal (rice), a pulse (black gram) and an oilseed (mustard). "We have done well with rice. In the greenhouse trials, it showed salt resistance of 150 millimolar (a measurement for salinity)," says Parida. (Even a 50 millimolar level of salinity can cut crop yields by half).
Now, a few rice varieties such as IR64, IR22 and Ponni have been made compatible with the transgenic plant. These varieties will hit the market in about three years. Meanwhile, Parida plans to focus on drought-resistant genes. "We’ve identified Prosopis juliflora, a common desert tree, as a source plant for the drought-resistance gene. The capacity of crops to grow with less water will be enhanced."
