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SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT OF AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGIES

FOR SMALL HOLDERS IN INDIA

Dr. Narayan G HegdeBAIF Development Research Foundation, Pune, India

nghegde@baif.org.in

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Sr. No.

Category of holdings

Size group (ha)

No. of Holdings(Million)

PercentHolding

Area(M. Ha)

PercentArea

Aver. Size (ha)

1. Marginal < 1.0 92.356 67.0 35.410 22.2 0.38

2. Small 1.0 - 2.0 24.705 17.9 35.126 22.1 1.42

3. Semi-medium

2.0 – 4.0 13.840 10.1 37.547 23.6 2.71

4. Medium 4.0 – 10.0 5.856 4.3 33.709 21.2 5.76

5. Large > 10.0 1.000 0.7 17.379 10.9 17.37

All 129.222 100.0 159.180 100.0 1.16

LAND HOLDING PATTERN IN INDIA2010-11

Most of the marginal land holders with 0.38 ha average holding, who are unable to earntheir livelihood from agriculture, are dependent on livestock for supplementary income.

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HOUSEHOLDS KEEPING LIVESTOCK

DEMAND AND SUPPLY OF FOOD GRAINSCommodity Dem./Supply 2011 2021 2026

Rice Demand (MT)Supply (MT)Surplus (MT)

84.295.7

11.46

96.4105.89.38

101.5111.29.73

Wheat Demand (MT)Supply (MT)Surplus (MT)

59.880.2

20.41

66.191.6

25.53

68.197.7

29.84

Total Cereals Demand (MT)Supply (MT)Surplus (MT)

223.7248.424.7

265 -274309> 35

273.5260.2-13.3

Pulses Demand (MT)Supply (MT)Deficit (MT)

19.9115.734.18

23.8 – 38.717.6 – 28.8

6.2 – 9.9

35.3 - 51.018.4 – 36.015.0 - 16.9

Edible Oil Demand (MT)Supply (MT)Deficit (MT)

15.713.32.4

26.719.86.9

35.325.010.3

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1 Billion ton increase in demand for cereals, as, per capita consumption will rise from2800 Kcal to 3050 Kcal/day in 2030; Additional 660 MT cereals needed for feeding livestock

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CONTRIBUTION OF AGRICULTURE TO INDIAN ECONOMY

Contribution to National GDP in 2010-11 • Agriculture and Allied Sectors : $306.409 Billion (14.2% of total)

• Livestock : $ 73.277 Billion (23.91% of Agricultural output) Milk $ 49.475 Bn. Paddy $ 28.610 Bn. Wheat $ 18.805 Bn. Sugarcane $ 1.103 Bn. Meat $ 13.669 Bn. Fish $ 13.786 Bn. Poultry $ 7.968 Bn.

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INDIA: STATUS OF POVERTY

States with High Poverty 2011-12

States Poverty %

Chhattisgarh 39.93

Jharkhand 36.96

Bihar 33.74

Odisha 32.59

M.P. 31.65

All India 21.92

Agro-Ecological Zones

Desert

Arid

Semi-arid

Humid

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APPLICATION OF BIOTECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE

• Molecular mapping of genes of Important Plants • Marker genes for selection of quality traits• Development of Transgenic crops • Tissue culture for plant propagation• Bio-fertilizers• Bio-pesticides• Vermiculture• Biodegradation of wastes / toxic substances• Mushroom production

• Increase in crop yield• Improvement in product quality• Increase in Nutritional value• Reduction in Biotic Stress: Resistance to pests and diseases • Tolerance to Abiotic Stress: Drought, Frost, Heat, Salinity, Herbicide • Production of Plant-based pharmaceuticals

DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSGENIC CROPS: OBJECTIVES

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• BT Cotton was introduced in 2002: 55,000 farmers

cultivated on 30,000 ha, with severe setback • In 2014, area under BT Cotton was 11.6 million ha,

covering 96% area under cotton crop• 7.5 million farmers cultivating 1100 varieties of BT

hybrid cotton and 50% are small land holders (< 2 ha) • Increase in cotton production from 13 million bales in

2002 to 40 million bales in 2014 (170kg/Bale) • Yield increase: Rainfed Crop: From 0.4-0.5 t to 0.8–1.0 t/ha Irrigated Crop: From 1.0-2.0 t to 2.0-2.4 tons/ha Increase in Lint Production: 200%

INTRODUCTION OF GM CROP IN INDIA

COUNTRIES LEADING IN GM CROPS

CONSUMPTION OF GM PRODUCTS IN INDIA

• GM Cotton seed oil since 2002• Cotton seed cake as cattle feed since 2002• GM Glyphosate tolerant soybean and canola oil since 2007 • In 2012, soybean oil worth $133 million was imported

• Income from Biotech Industry in 2012-13: $4 Billion Bio-pharma : 64 % Bio-services : 18 % Bio-agri : 14 % Bio-industrial : 03 % Bio-informatics : 01 %

Crops Altered traits Genes Organizations Cotton Insect resistance

Herbicide tolerance cry1Ac, cry1F, cry1EC, cry2Ab,

CP4EPSPSMAHYCO, DOW, JK Agri,

Metahelix, CICR Corn Drought resistance,

Vitamin A, Vitamin Ccry1Ab Monsanto

Rice Insect/ Salinity resistance cry1Ac; cry2Ab MAHYCO, TNAU, IARI, Bayer

Mustard Insect / virus resistance PAU, Delhi Uni.Wheat Stress resistance ICAR

Sugarcane High sucrose, pesticide resistance

ICAR

Groundnut Insect resistance RB ICRISAT

Brinjal Insect resistance cry1Aa, cry1Aabc; cry1Ac MAHYCO, TNAU, UAS, IARI

Okra Insect resistance cry1Ac, sry1Ab MAHYCO

Cabbage Insect resistance cry1Ba, cry1Ca Nunhems

Cauliflower Insect resistance cry1Ab, cry1Ac, cry1Bc, cry1Ca Sungro, Nunhems

Tomato Increased lycopene unedited NAD9 Avesthagen

Castor Insect resistance cry1Aa, cry1Ec DOR- ICAR

GM CROPS FOR FIELD TRIALS IN INDIA

ON GOING CROP IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMMES

• Crop Improvement through Marker Assisted Selection: Black gram

• Marker Assisted Introgression/ Breeding: Control of Rice Blast, Brown plant hopper, Drought stress• Development of Transgenic crops: Green gram for drought

resistance and herbicide tolerance, Rice for drought tolerance and improving Nitrogen use efficiency, Cotton resistance to lepidopteron pests, Groundnut for drought resistance

• Testing of high yielding chickpea developed by Assam Agricultural University and MAHYCO

• Development of GM crop varieties, which can be multiplied by farmers by Punjab Agricultural University

REASONS FOR RESISTANCE TO GM CROPS

• Failure to exhibit resistance against all pests• Low crop yield• High cost of seeds• Dependence on seed companies • Lack of mechanism to monitor safety measures and assess risk• Inadequate bio-safety studies • Lack of transparency• Monopoly of a few MNCs

BIOCONTROL OF PESTS AND DISEASESFungicidesP. fl uorescens Plant soil-borne diseasesA. quisqualis Powdery mildewT. harzianum Soil-borne pathogensT. viride Soil-borne pathogensFungicides / bactericidesB. subtilis Soil-borne pathogensInsecticidesB. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis Lepidopteran pestsB. thuringiensis subsp. Lepidopteran pestsB. bassiana Coffee berry borer, diamondback moth,M. anisopliae Coleoptera and lepidoptera, termites,

Verticillium mosquitoes, leafhoppers, P. fumosoroseus; P. lilacinus WhiteflyVerticillium lecanii Whitefly, coffee green bug, homopteran pestsSpodoptera litura Spodocide

BIOCONTROL OF NEMATODES

Nematicides

Verticillium chlamydosporium Nematodes

B. sphaericus Mosquito larvae

B. thuringiensis subsp. a izawai Lepidoptera larvae

B. thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki Caterpillar, Killer

M. anisopliae Gray-backed cane grub

M. anisopliae subsp. acridum Locusts and grasshoppers

M. flavoviride Redheaded pasture cockchafer

H. armigera Helicoverpa spp.

USE OF BIOFERTILIZERS IN INDIA• Bio-fertilizer production increased from 25065 tons in

2008-09 to 46836 tons in 2012-13• Nitrogen fixed through bio-fertilizers is 135 M tons/year• Potential demand for bio-fertilizers is 2.5 M tons/year• Types of Biofertilizers: - N fixers: Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, Herbspirillum , Azollza, Blue Green Algae - Phosphate Solubilizing Micro-organisms: Pseudomonas, Bacillus sp. - Potash Solubilizing Bacteria: Frateuria sp. - Mycorrhizae: Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizae (VAM) - Growth Promoter: Acetobacter

APPLICATION OF TISSUE CULTURE IN AGRICULTURE

• Rapid propagation of superior plants• Elimination of viral diseases• Germplasm storage• Induce desirable, heritable changes• Incorporate potentially useful genes• Somatic hybridization • Regenerate transgenic plants through transfer

of genes into protoplasts

TISSUE CULTURE PLANTS PRODUCED IN INDIA (2007-08)

CROPS Plants (Million) Rs. (Million)Banana 64.06 576.5Pineapple 6.761 101.4Grapes 1.137 28.4Sugarcane 280.55 122.2Potato 0.083 -Turmeric 0.929 6.5Vanilla 1.123 7.9Large cardamom 2.000 14.0Small cardamom 0.600 5.4Ginger 0.586 4.1Medicinal/ Aromatic 12.275 61.4Ornamental 21.172 317.6Trees 4.951 123.8TOTAL 143.731 1359.2

CURRENT STATUS OF TISSUE CULTUREYears Plants Produced (Billion)

2012-13 1.62 2013-14 1.68 2014-15 1.90

Major crops established• Banana• Sugarcane• Strawberry• Cardamom• Aromatics • Ornamental

APPLICATION OF BIOTECHNOLOGY IN LIVESTOCK SECTOR IN INDIA

• Use of embryos for bull production• Male and female cloned buffaloes produced in 2014• Karyotyping for screening cattle against genetic disorders• Selection of thermo-stable strains for vaccine production• Improved models of compact PVC biogas plants• Efficient recycling of dung and bio-waste through

vermicomposting and composting, using efficient micro-organisms

AGRI-BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR ANIMAL HUSBANDRY

• Genomic studies of native breeds of cattle and buffaloes to identify genes for economic traits such as heat/cold tolerance, disease resistance, calving interval, milk yield, high protein and fat

• Marker assisted selection of sires • Sexed semen for producing female milch animals• Effective thermo-stable vaccines • Improve feed quality and digestibility• Reduction in methane production by introducing

specific micro-organisms

STRATEGY FOR TAPPING BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR SMALL FARMERS

• Policy on GM crops based on scientific evidence • Priority for development of new varieties of crops

resistant to Biotic and Abiotic stress• Popularisation of Bio-fertilizers, Bio-pesticides and

Organic nutrients• Use of tissue cultured plants in Horticulture• Decentralised delivery of Agri-biotech products as part

of the Value Chain • Increased investment on Agri-biotechnology Research

and Technology Transfer

Thank you

nghegde@baif.org.inwww.baif.org.in

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