Name - GM rubber plant
Developed by - Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII), Kerala
Gene used - MnSOD (manganese-containing superoxide dismutase) inserted in it.
Specially developed for North-East region, India
It was an exciting day at Sarutari research farm in Guwahati as the Rubber Board of India planted the first genetically-modified (GM) rubber plant on 22 June 2021.
This is believed to revolutionize the cultivation of natural rubber in India.
The GM rubber plant is developed at the Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII).
It is anticipated to do well under the climate conditions of the Northeast.
KN Raghavan, the Chairman and Executive Director of Rubber Board, said, “The GM rubber plant is expected to tide over the severe cold conditions during winter which is a major factor affecting the growth of young rubber plants with additional copies of the gene MnSOD (manganese-containing superoxide dismutase) inserted in it.
Through breeding and selection, RRII has earlier developed two high-yielding hybrid clones of rubber that are adapted to the climatic conditions of the Northeast. This is the first time any GM crop is developed exclusively for this region.”
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