[For further information on the Electronic Forum on Biotechnology in Food and Agriculture see the Forum website.
Note, participants are assumed to be speaking on their own behalf, unless they state otherwise.]

-----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod2
Sent: 09 March 2007 14:47
To: 'biotech-room2@mailserv.fao.org'
Subject: 12: Drought impacts from climate change

I greet members of this FAO conference from the tiny island of Pohnpei in the Pacific Ocean (Latitude 6 84 N.; Longitude 158 30 E). Pohnpei is one of the wettest places on earth. Our recently installed rain gauge network indicates that the high interior of the island may receive over 300 inches of rain annually. (Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific (WERI), University of Guam). [1 inch = 2.52 cm...Moderator].

Yet, some of our outlying atolls closer to the equator are already beginning to feel the effects of climate change, including drought and sea level overtopping causing salinization of the soil. I think we cannot seriously discuss water resources and biotechnology without bringing global warming squarely into the discussion.

Some biotechnology researchers are seriously attempting to work on genetic engineering of abiotic stress tolerance. Recent experiments by Japanese scientists cloning our Pohnpeian native mangroves show promise for isolating genes that may be utilized for transgenic salinity-tolerance that can be transferred into crop plants. I am aware of some work in China, as well.

Small developing island states like Micronesia do not have the scientific and technical capacity to do the research needed in-country, so global technology transfer on preferential terms and bilateral or private sector/government partnerships will be crucial to help our people remain in our islands and cope with agricultural losses from climate change drought and soil salinization.

L. Heidi Primo
National Project Coordinator
Federated States of Micronesia
UNEP/ GEF National Biosafety Framework Enabling Activities Project
biosafety (at) mail.fm

-----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod2
Sent: 09 March 2007 14:53
To: 'biotech-room2@mailserv.fao.org'
Subject: 13: Re: Ectomycorrhiza

This is with regard to Message 8 by Friderike Oehler:

I am also interested in getting information on mass multiplication of mycorrhiza and their mode of transport and storage at the end users (dry land farmers) - how best we can simplify the protocol so that farmers can practise it. I am also interested to have collaboration with scientists who have already started mass multiplication of ectomycorrhiza or any other microbes that enhance the water stress resistance of crop plants. If it requires, I am also eager to visit the fields that have taken up these kinds of experiments.

Dr. N. Manikanda Boopathi
Assistant Professor (Bio-Tech)
Department of Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
Centre for Plant Molecular Biology
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
Coimbatore 641 003
Tamil Nadu,
India
Mobile phone: +91 98425 09611
biotechboopathi (at) yahoo.com

[If anyone is interested in this collaboration with N. Manikanda Boopathi, please contact him directly...Moderator]

-----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod2
Sent: 09 March 2007 15:56
To: 'biotech-room2@mailserv.fao.org'
Subject: 14: Re: Marker-assisted selection for yield under water stress

I am PK Gupta from Meerut University, India. I would like to initiate a discussion on the use of transgenics and marker-assisted selection (MAS) for water use efficiency, drought tolerance or transpiration efficiency. In this connection, the background document gives the example of the 'erecta' gene for transpiration efficiency discovered and isolated in Arabodopsis. Its homologues are also claimed to be known in cereals. Has this gene been tapped for use in cereals and other crops and if so, to what extent using either the transgenic approach or MAS?.

Regarding Message 2 (March 7) by N. Manikanda Boopathi, I advise him to keep in mind the epistatic interactions (E-QTLs), QTL x environment (QE) interactions, and QTL x QTL x environment (QQE) interactions during QTL analysis. QTLMapper and QTLNetwork softwares developed in China allow this analysis. The size of mapping population should not be less than 200 recombinant inbred lines or doubled haploid lines for this analysis and the mapping populations need to be grown at several locations and phenotypic data should be recorded at all these locations and then used for single locus composite interval mapping (for main-effect quantitative trait loci (QTLs)) and two locus analysis (epistatic interactions). Dr Boopathi may get in touch with us for more details. If possible, more than one mapping population should be developed and used to fully dissect the genetics of drought tolerance.

Regarding mycrorrhiza, a lot of research has been undertaken and is also currently in progress on the use of mycrorrhiza, but I would like to know if there are examples of large-scale commercial use of this technology by the farmers in the field. How far is the technology that can be used on the field by the farmers in an economically feasible way.

P.K. Gupta
Honorary Emeritus Professor and INSA Senior Scientist
Molecular Biology Laboratory
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding
Ch. Charan Singh University
MEERUT-250 004
India
Tel (Lab): 91-121-2768195
(Resi): 91-121-2762505
TeleFax : 91-121-2768195
e-mail : pkgupta36 (at) yahoo.com

[The example of the erects gene was discussed in Section 5a) in the Background Document (http://www.fao.org/biotech/C14doc.htm). Contact me if you wish to receive the background document by e-mail or as a WORD or PDF file. Epistasis refers to the interaction between alleles at different loci...Moderator].

----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod2
Sent: 09 March 2007 16:04
To: 'biotech-room2@mailserv.fao.org'
Subject: 15: Mycorrhizal fungi and seawater

A question related to mycorrizhal research.

The surface water of the world is less than 0.019% of the global water resources, the ground water represents 4% while the ocean represents 96%. So, desalination of the sea water at a low cost can be an appropriate solution to cope with water scarcity. I would like to know if the mycorrhizal technology as a biofertiliser has been tested with sea water?

Norbert Tchouaffé
Agricultural engineer
Technology and sustainable development specialist
Plant stress member
Ministry of Environment and Nature Protection (MINEP)
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER)
Cameroonian association of rural development (ACADER)
Box. 876 Yaounde,
Cameroon
Phone:(237)563-09-22
ntchoua (at) yahoo.fr

[Some background on desalination of saline waters is provided in Section 3a) of the background document (e.g. noting "At the global level, the volume of desalinated water produced annually, estimated at 7.5 km3, is currently quite low, representing about 0.2% of the water withdrawn for human use (FAO, 2006b)".
Secondly, Ritter (2006, http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/8b.html) estimates that almost all of the world's water (97.25%, 1370 million km3) is in the oceans, followed by glaciers and icecaps (29 million km3), groundwater (9.5 million km3), lakes (125,000 km3), soil (65,000 km3), the atmosphere (13,000 km3), in streams and rivers (1,700 km3) and within living organisms (600 km3). Note, exact figures for the breakdown of global water can vary depending on the source used: As Shiklomanov (2000, water international 25, 11-32) notes, "Reliable assessment of water storage on the earth is a complicated problem because water is very dynamic. It is in permanent motion, converting between liquid, solid, and gaseous phases"...Moderator].

-----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod2
Sent: 09 March 2007 17:59
To: 'biotech-room2@mailserv.fao.org'
Subject: 16: Rhizobium strains

I have the honour to join this email conference. Let me first introduce myself. My name is Mamadou Gueye. I am a soil microbiologist working at the Institut Senegalais de Recherches Agricoles (ISRA), Senegal, in the field of biological nitrogen fixation. I am in charge of the Microbological Resources Centre (MIRCEN) since 1983.

Coming to the conference, my first message is, of course, focused on Rhizobium strains.

In general, the nodulation and the nodule functions are sensitive to severe water stress as it was reported for many legumes such as Medicago sativa, Glycine max, Vicia faba. Water stress may also have little or no effect on the nitrogen fixation process in some tropical legumes such as Desmodium.

Many research activities support the view that nodulation and nitrogen fixation activity in nodules were depressed under drought conditions. However no effect of water stress has been observed in plants inoculated with selected rhizobial strains.

Indeed, nodulation and nitrogen fixation under water stress conditions depends not only on the plant species, but also on the rhizobial strains: they could be reduced following drought whereas they could be maintained at high level when suitable strains are used as inoculants. Such strains are available in most microbiological resources centres (MIRCEN) devoted to rhizobial culture collections, in Brazil, Kenya and Senegal.

Thus, agricultural biotechnology should be focused to selection of rhizobial strains with a view to maximize the process of biological nitrogen fixation for sustaining agriculture in arid and semi-arid zones, the sub saharian zone mainly.

Dr Mamadou Gueye
ISRA-MIRCEN
Laboratoire Commun de Microbiologie (LCM) IRD-ISRA-UCAD
BP 1386, DAKAR,
Senegal
Tel : (221) 8493321
Fax : (221) 8321675
Cell : (221) 6467762
Email : Mamadou.gueye (at) ird.sn

[As written in an easy-to-read Spotlight article (http://www.fao.org/ag/magazine/0011sp1.htm) on 'the life in soil', rhizobia bacteria "infect plant roots and create nodules where atmospheric nitrogen is fixed, satisfying most of the plant's nitrogen needs"...Moderator].

-----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod2
Sent: 09 March 2007 18:00
To: 'biotech-room2@mailserv.fao.org'
Subject: 17: Water problems in Indian agriculture

I am Dr Dilip Kumar Paul, basically an agricultural engineer from India's most prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur and have wide research and developmental experience. I would like to introduce myself as a person involved in the science of research and development of water and its management for the last 40 years. Presently, I am Principal Scientist (Integrated Water Management) at NRM division of Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR).

First, I would like to thank the organizers for this initiative on FAO e-mail conference on "Coping with water scarcity in developing countries: What role for agricultural biotechnologies?". I would like to introduce the participants to some of the endemic problem facing our agriculture for over a period of 30 to 35 years since the period of Green Revolution which mostly propagated high yielding monoculture (exotic) crop, high fertilisers and irrigation changing the focus from traditional organic (with proper rainwater management) farming that was in vogue in India since time immemorial. With large population whose birth and death rate was matching each other earlier, the population explosion since the 1960s placed a big problem to our leaders and we embarked upon meeting their burgeoning demand through accelerated agricultural development without really tackling the problem of population control and education/health to all.

The analysis of land utilization patterns in India for the period from 1950-51 to 2000-01 reveals that the gross cropped area increased significantly from 131.9 million hectares (Mha) in the year 1950-51 to 189.7 Mha in the year 2000-01 with net sown area increased only from 118.8 Mha to 141.1 Mha. Significantly, the gross area under irrigation increased from 22.6 Mha to 76.3. As per the Indian national statistics, the net irrigated area mostly from ground water is 57.2 Mha only. The rest is rainfed area with endemic problem of water scarcity and poverty and malnutrition associated with declining livelihood and human development index in the present context of globalisation and market economy. This has resulted in acute regional disparities in social and economic development in vast areas of the country mostly in natural resource rich central and eastern region.

The World Bank report on India’s water economy (author; John Briscoe), blames decrying monopoly in water supply. He says India faces a turbulent water future. The current water development and management system isn’t sustainable. The key issues of the management stage – participation, incentives, water entitlements, transparency, entry of the private sector, competition, accountability, financing and environmental quality need dramatic changes. User charges are low, staffing levels are very high, most public funds are now spent feeding the administrative machinery, not maintaining infrastructure or providing services. [This 2005 draft report on "India’s Water Economy: Bracing for a Turbulent Future" is available from http://go.worldbank.org/JERBPC3AQ0 ...Moderator].

In India the biggest problem today lies with groundwater; In the past two decades, 84% of the addition to net irrigated area has come from groundwater and 80% of the domestic water supply now comes from groundwater. In some states, the groundwater situation is already a mess. In Tamil Nadu, for instance, 37% of aquifers are over-exploited, and another 37% are in a critical or semi-critical state. In Rajasthan, 60% of the state is using groundwater. All this is set to become a serious problem by as early as 2050, when demand is expected to exceed all available sources of supply. The only solution is effective demand management to match supply. Focus will have to swing back to surface water supply systems demarcating clearly water entitlements, de-monopolising public irrigation departments, and developing transparent water information systems, apart from building public infrastructure.

India has very high average rainfall (880mm) and large arable lands with a huge population practising agriculture. Even then water scarcity is a fact with declining water quality associated with land degradation (107 Mha). As such the sustainable productivity in India was low with traditional crops and varieties. Presently low yield per unit area across almost all crops has become a regular feature of Indian agriculture. The declining yields in most crops has led the government to estimate the annual agricultural growth rate at 2.7% this year (2006-07) with only 20% share of agriculture in Gross Domestic Product but employing about 70% of the country's population, mostly in highly populated rainfed areas. Bolstering the falling productivity in agriculture holds the key to the sector’s growth but there is no short term solution at hand (Economic Survey, 2007). This failing agriculture comes with some serious structural problems in the government food management policy as well.

India can boast of a highly technical and extensive agricultural research system with accomplished scientists and managers. But, somehow or other, the gains of research and development are not percolating down to the people in general unlike other fast-growing consumer goods sector.

There is ample scope for improving land use pattern, water use efficiencies in rainfed and irrigation cropping system and diversification to farming and adaptation to market directed agriculture. ICAR and university research services have developed many improved varieties of cereals and pulses, millets, fruits and vegetables with improved technology packages including rainwater management technologies over the years for different agro climatic zones. Some of the technologies, as tried in somewhat integrated manner on a sustained manner over the years under model watershed development projects, have brought out substantial productivity improvement and better livelihood and employment generation options. I personally feel that there is enormous scope for improvements in productivity especially under the non biotechnology related interventions in rainfed areas of India.

Dr D K Paul,
Principal Scientist (IWM),
ICAR,
India.
dkpaul (at) icar.org.in

[Many thanks to D.K. Paul for this overview of the situation regarding water use for agriculture in India, which also considers at the end of the message the potential impact that technologies and biotechnologies can have. In any responses to the message, we ask that participants keep their focus on the role/impact of agricultural biotechnologies, which is the theme of this conference...Moderator].