SUGARCANE BIOTECHNOLOGY - EMERGING TRENDS

• Published in: Journal of Sugarcane Research (online) 2020-03, Vol.1 (1)
• Main Authors: M.C Gopinathan, P.V. Naik, R. Pushpavalli
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2249-927X; 2582-4767

The acceptance and adoption level of transgenic crops among farmers and consumers is increasing at unprecedented rates making it the fastest adopted technology in the history of agriculture. Emerging trends in transgenic research and field trials also indicate expression of second generation output traits such as omega-3 oil or pro-Vitamin A, drought & salt tolerance and Nitrogen intake efficiency in large number of the crops. Further recent success of third generation transgenic traits related to non-food, high value industrial and pharmaceutical products are expected to create new avenues of opportunities and challenges for industrial crops, for “biopharming’. Last two decades biotechnology work in sugarcane resulted in partial sequencing of complex polyploidy genome, identifying large number of developmental genes and production of transgenic plants for large number of traits. However, no transgenic sugarcane has been commercialized so far. The lack of reliable transformation system, efficient gene promoters, transgene silencing, limited knowledge of polyploidy genome architecture and field instability are the major scientific or technological limiting factors. Multiple utilities of sugarcane as a feed stock for production of sugar, power, alcohol, bio-fuels, biopolymers and biopharmaceuticals are creating new competitive landscape for sugarcane transgenic across the world. To capture these emerging opportunities major biotech companies are entering into strategic partnerships and alliances with traditional sugar research institutes and sugar companies at national and international level. But there are many challenges ahead for regulatory authorities and governments, especially in the areas of safety testing, regulation, and food labeling to obtain public acceptance and usher benefits of sugarcane transgenic to larger sections of the society.