World’s first genetically modified (GM) rubber plant was planted at the research Rubber Board research farm at Sarutari on the outskirts of Guwahati on June 22.
- Natural rubber is a native of warm humid Amazon forests and is not naturally suited for the colder conditions in the Northeast, which is one of the largest producers of rubber in India.
- Laboratory studies conducted at the RRII showed the GM rubber plants overexpressed the MnSOD gene as expected.
About GM rubber
- The GM rubber has additional copies of the gene MnSOD, or manganese-containing superoxide dismutase, inserted in the plant, which is expected to tide over the severe cold conditions during winter — a major factor affecting the growth of young rubber plants in the region.
- The plant was developed at the Kerala-based Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII).
- Rubber Board Chairman and Executive Director K.N. Raghavan said the RRII had earlier developed two high-yielding hybrid clones of rubber adapted to the climatic conditions of the Northeast.
(Source: The Hindu)
