[PEN-L:27375] Rice Structural Genomics Study To Be Completed By 2002

["Ulhas Joglekar" <joglekarulhas@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

The Financial Express

Tuesday, June 25, 2002

Study On Rice Structural Genomics To Be Completed By 2002

Our Economic Bureau

New Delhi, June 24:  The project study on structure of rice genes will be
completed by the end of 2002 with 99.9 per cent accuracy, said Dr Ren Wang,
deputy director-general of Manila based International Rice Research
Institute.
Dr Wang and his associates who were addressing a press conference in the
capital on Saturday said that part of the research study was given to
Beijing Genomics Institute and Syngenta. They have already submitted their
report. International working group headed by Japan, of which India is a
member, is is also working on the project and is likely to submit its report
by the end of 2002.
IRRI scientists has identified the location of three genes for high iron
content and will take up its DNA sequencing. If this is successful it would
be possible to insert these genes in commercial rice varieties.
Dr Wang said that the work on the vitamin A fortified 'Golden Rice' is in
progress at IRRI. Scientists are working for inserting the materials of
'Golden Rice' in IR 64 variety of rice grown in India and in BR 29 rice
grown in Bangladesh.
Dr Wang said that once the work on rice structural genomics is completed, it
will help the plant breeders to a great extent. After the work on rice
structural genomics is completed the scientists should delve further into
the functional genomics of rice. This, of course, will take some time, he
said and added that the knowledge of functional genomics of rice will enable
breeders to easily produce varieties of rice catering to varied nutritive
values.
Dr TW Mew, leader of rainfed rice programme at IRRI and Dr Mahabub Hossain,
head of the social science division at IRRI said that it has been decided to
implement the new programme, Consortium for Unfavourable Rice Environments
(CURE) for developing improved rice technologies that would increase rice
yields in rainfed areas in seven countries by 25 per cent. These seven
countries are India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, Thailand and
Phillipines. In each of these countries one key site has been identified for
the pilot project. India has two extra key sites. It has been proposed to
increase rice yields in these key sites by 40 per cent in next five years.
Dr RK Singh, IRRI representative in India said that the three key sites in
India for pilot projects are Faizabad district in UP, Cuttack district in
Orissa and Hazaribagh district in Bihar. In Faizabad district the problem is
of submergence of rice fields. Usually about 12 million hectares of paddy
fields are submerged every year in this district. It is proposed to develop
and apply technologies so that rice yields can be increased in such a
situation. Similarly in Cuttack district in Orissa there is a problem of
soil salinity and in Hazaribagh district in Bihar there is a problem of
recurring drought. Technologies will be developed and applied in these three
distinct regions for increasing rice yields, he said.
Dr Wang said that in view of declining donar contribution to the programme,
it has been decided to work in a consortium to achieve the common goal.

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