GM peanut being developed

Coming next: Genetically modified or transgenic peanut.

Research along this line is now being conducted by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) based in Patancher, Andra Pradesh, India.

Dr. William D. Dar, ICRISAT director general, told The STAR that the transgenic peanut is now being tested in a greenhouse at ICRISAT.

"We will possibly be conducting field trials by next year and are looking forward to commercialize it in a span of three years," added Dr. Dar, who was in Los Baños, Laguna, recently to attend a conference of officials of international centers supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

The conference was held at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

ICRISAT said the former Philippine agriculture acting secretary is trying to develop a transgenic groundnut (peanut) for virus resistance which is expected to benefit peanut farmers in Asia and Africa.

The center is also working on transgenic sorghum, chickpea, and pegeonpea, all for pest resistance. Transgenic sorghum and pigeonpea are projected to be in farmers’ fields in three to five years.

"ICRISAT believes that even poor farmers require transgenic seeds as they are resistant to pests and enhance crop productivity," Dr. Dar said.

ICRISAT is one of 16 international agricultural research centers supported by Washington, DC-based CGIAR, a consortium of 50 governments foundations and development banks.

Established in 1972 as a non-profit and apolitical international organization, ICRISAT focuses on the semi-arid tropics, home to one-sixth of the world’s population. It addresses persistent challenges facing farmers such as drought, unpredictable weather, limited and erratic rainfall, and nutrient-poor soil.

ICRISAT’s mission is to help develop countries in the semi-arid tropics to increase crop productivity and food security, reduce poverty, protect the environment through partnership-based research with national agricultural research systems (NARS), advanced research institutes (ARIs), nongovernment organizations (NGOs), the private sector networks and other CGIAR centers.