Biotechnology for crop improvement
By Ranjan K. Srivastava, Neeru Sood and S.S. Gosal
BIOTECHNOLOGY, in the recent years, has created unprecedented opportunities, not only for the manipulation of biological systems for the benefit of mankind but also for undertaking studies to understand the fundamental life processes. Consequently, it has become the world’s fastest growing and most rapidly changing technology.

Water hyacinth: a paradoxical plant
By G.S. Dhillon
REPORTS in the print media indicate that the Punjab Government has waged a full-scale war against water hyacinth growing in the Harike Lake. The water hyacinth is a paradoxical plant. Under controlled conditions it works as a friendly plant, but left uncontrolled in the environment where enough food is available through the water body containing “washed-in” nutrients in the form of nitrates and residue from phosphatic fertilisers it grows as a wild weed having obnoxious character.

• Farm operations for Nov 

Punjab farmer in dire straits
By Harvinder Khetal

Let’S face it — the poor and marginal farmer of Punjab is in dire straits and is in need of help and guidance. Despite the hardships being endured by him for nearly a decade, the hard working guy has been religiously tilling the land, all in the hope of return of the good old days of the Green Revolution when a bumper crop meant money and not the present state of affairs of glut and a few takers for his crop.

Most of the farmers have little option, except to carry on with the only avocation they know and pray and hope for a miracle — a miracle in terms of the government offering them better terms of trade.

But it seems that the government with its huge infrastructure of agricultural scientists and universities and secretaries and politicians back from foreign jaunts apparently equipped with solutions to any and every problem is either at a loss to help the farmers or it suits it to act as saviour every time there is a crisis by doling out favours in the form of relief packages. It is altogether another matter that even in the distribution of this ‘aid’, most officials are adept at siphoning off their ‘share’ of the bounty, secure in the belief that they are safe as everybody is in it together and the already harassed farmer is in no position to fight to the finish.

Also, reliefs can at best be described as short-term measures to tide over a problem temporarily. They are supposed to send a message that it is the time to take drastic steps to avoid the recurrence of the phenomenon. However, the truth is far from it. Nearly every year, the Chief Minister goes with a begging bowl to the Prime Minister and returns with a ‘package’ for the poor farmers and makes use of this ‘victory’ to garner votes.

Meanwhile, the illusionary lull created by this eyewash of an exercise pushes the storm of the enormity of the gravity of the problem to the backburner and life goes on. The number of farmers who had committed suicide during this period of hardship and test of endurance remain mere statistics only to be quoted in studies along with an equal number of denials and claims. While human rights groups cry hoarse over foul play and wrong policies of the government leading to such incidents, government officials seek to underplay the tragedy by claiming that depression and family disputes are the causes of the farmers taking their own lives. Well, even if that be the case, their duty does not end at this point. They must and ponder. Why is the farmer depressed? Why are there fights in his family? The answer lies entangled in the paradoxical quagmire of the exceedingly tedious but emotional process of producing grains and getting nothing to eat and live well in return.

You don’t have to be a psychologist to know that it is not possible to continue to have a happy life without getting money for your labour. The family forgets the last bad season and hopes rise with the harvest of the new crop. Children will get new clothes, school and college fees will be paid, the daughter will be married off. Dreams seem near realisation. Any thought of despair is stoutly perished.

Government murmurings of a India becoming self-sufficient and surplus in foodgrain production only serve to enhance the pride of the Jat Sikh. But soon reality dawns. There has been no improvement. The produce of the earth faces getting mixed right back into it as it rots and there are few takers for the product of his labour of love. In such a state, who will not feel depressed? Why won’t there be tension at home? Is it very abnormal if the victim takes to drugs and intoxicants to suppress his anger for the system and feeling of helplessness and despair?

So, do we conclude that dooms day is not far? That the spate of suicides by the farmers pushed to the brink is a reflection of the times to come? The situation is indeed alarming and calls for drastic measures to curb the trend.

First of all, land needs to be kept fallow for a couple of years to replenish its alluvial constituency and mineral wealth. Scientists must come out with better-researched varieties of seed and guide the agriculture sector to green grains and green dollars (with the GATT and WTO guidelines being implemented by 2004, such an aim should not be out of the reckoning).

Diversification can help alleviate the problem to a large extent. Next is tapping the agro-processing sector to its full potential. Marketing and production must go hand in hand. Unfortunately, these steps can be taken only under ideal conditions and Indian conditions are anything but ideal. We do not have the wherewithal to absorb the shock of providing for the upkeep of the families of farmers while their land lies unused, waiting to be fit for tilling again. Agroforestry, another option to tide over the problem also requires a gestation period of four to five years.

A survey of some villages shows that only those families are happy which have at least one member working outside agriculture. His steady income is the buffer that bears the vagaries of irregular accruals from farming. Thus, it would much the order of the day if the government ensures jobs to its people.

Curbing the tendency of farmers to commit suicide is very important. This will lift the veil of despair and despondency that has engulfed the region. Manpower is the biggest asset of any organisation. And only a satisfied one can be its strong backbone. Otherwise, there are chances of revolt and rebellion. The dharnas, rail roko agitations and road blockades that the poor farmers take recourse to draw the attention of the authorities concerned towards their woes could take on the hue of a serious demonstration if they are denied justice for long. Repeated dashing of hopes after tall promises is the one of the worst kind of atrocity committed on the psyche of a collective thought.

In fact, even the big farmers are feeling cheated. They are convinced that farming has become an unviable proposition. And easy availability of loans only compounds the matter. For example, does a land holding of eight acres really need an independent tractor? But since the rules permit, all those eligible end up taking the loan, only to be caught under its debt. With almost no returns from agriculture, the machine that was bought to lesson the burden itself becomes a burden. And reports of peasants selling off their tractors to ease their financial position, however ephemeral, are a sure pointer to the ground reality.

It’s a pity that the authorities do not care enough and choose to turn a blind eye to the hardships that a majority of the agriculturists are undergoing. Rather, officials are quick to be to be on the offensive and blame the farmer for violation of rules. Nobody seems to be interested in going into the ‘why’ of the action.

Why can’t the agriculture experts develop a role model for the beleaguered farmer to follow? Maybe, the solution lies in a mechanised cooperative farming with optimum use of tractors, combines, shellers, fertilisers, pesticides, etc. Needless to say that such a situation calls for the powers-that-be to be above board and role model themselves. An end to malpractices arising out of the nexus among politicians, bureaucrats, scientists, bankers, traders and manufacturers of farm inputs and equipment is an essential prerequisite. And if deserving farmers are given stakes in agro-based industries set up to process the food, the results should definitely be positive.

Meanwhile, a scientific approach to tackle soil and water-related problems too needs a boost. Waterlogging and salinity in the south-western region of Punjab and a declining water-table in other areas have become the bane of lakhs of farmers. The land which once gave them golden crop has lost even its ground value. They are petitioning the government to buy their land from them in the absence of any buyers. Others are leaving their villages for cities and towns in search of jobs, even menial ones. Many are pedalling rickshaws to keep their hearths burning. Those not strong enough are resorting to suicides.

Obviously a big mistake has been made somewhere for which only the farmer seems to be paying the price, at times with his life. And not many lessons seem to have been learnt. Grains are grown in abundance. But there are not adequate storage facilities for them or enough processing units where they can be made good use of. So they rot. The other states have come out with equally good produce. So they do not need ours. Thus, the terms of trade go against the farmer who is left sulking.

It would be a pity if preventive steps are not taken immediately as it would mean a negation of all the gains garnered since the mid-sixties when Punjab led in converting India into a food surplus nation from a food-deficient one. The state which has been providing a major percentage of the share of wheat and rice in the granary deserves a chance to prove itself once more. And just as the sagacity of politicians and experts put together made it the fastest success stories of agriculture in the world then, there is no reason why the same story cannot be scripted again.

Biotechnology for crop improvement
By Ranjan K. Srivastava, Neeru Sood and S.S. Gosal

BIOTECHNOLOGY, in the recent years, has created unprecedented opportunities, not only for the manipulation of biological systems for the benefit of mankind but also for undertaking studies to understand the fundamental life processes. Consequently, it has become the world’s fastest growing and most rapidly changing technology.

The beginning of the plant tissue culture was made as early as 1898 when a German biologist, G. Haberlandt, successfully cultured fully differentiated individual plant cells, isolated from different tissues in several plant species. More than 30 years have elapsed since George Morel first proposed the application of plant tissue culture for the commercial clonal propagation of virus-free orchids, since then in vitro propagation or micropropagation has evolved into a competitive worldwide industry that produces more than 500 million plants annually.

The technology ensures rapid, true-to-type, disease-free, round-the-year production of plant material. Micropropagation promises multiplication of rare, hard to propagate plants using any plant part whether or not used as propagation material conventionally. Today micropropagation protocols have been standardised for many ornamental, vegetable, fruit and woody plants by research institutes and private laboratories. Undoubtedly, micropropagation has proven to be a commercially viable method for plant biotechnology in agriculture. The newly developed cultivars can be rapidly multiplied using this technique, thus saving labour, time and energy. Micropropagation basically involves establishment of culture, multiplication of propagates, induction of rooting/hardening and finally the transfer of plantlets from in vitro to in vivo conditions.

Traditional genetic manipulation methods have not proven very effective for many breeding objectives. Somaclonal variation among the callus (mass of undifferentiated cells) derived plant is a potent emerging aspect for broadening the genetic base and, thus, obtaining incremental improvement in the commercial cultivars. Using this technique, several million cells can be screened against various biotic and abiotic stress factors which is highly efficient. Several interesting and potentially useful traits have been recovered in sugarcane, potato, corn, rapeseed and mustard, rice and alfalfa, fruit plants, etc.

Production of haploids through bulbosum, anther/pollen culture methods have been exploited for the early release of varieties. In rice, the technique has been highly rewarding in early release of new varieties. The largest number of cultivars have come from barley using the bulbosum maternal haploid method. Haploids have been produced in more then 50 genera through this technique in China, Canada, Denmark, the USA and France.

Another technique, embryo culture, has given practical approach to obtain interspecific and intergeneric hybrids among otherwise hard to cross parents. The embryos of many recalcitrant plant like peach, mango can be rescued using this technique.

Transgenic plants have been produced in a large number of plant species and their production in most crop species has now become routine. “Flavr Savr” and “Endless Summer” tomatoes, Freedom-II squash, “High Lauric” rapeseed and “Round-up Ready” soyabean are some of the examples of crops that have already released commercially in developed counties. During 1995 in the USA full registration was granted to genetically engineered insect-resistant potato (new leaf), corn (maximizes) and cotton ball gard) each containing Bt toxin gene derived from bacteria bacillus thuriengiensis.

The whole procedure of the plant tissue culture is carried out in aseptic conditions. The inoculation are made on the synthetic medium prepared and sterilised in autoclave at 121°C for 15 minutes. No single medium can be suggested for all plants and organ/plant and in this regard several formulations have been developed during past three decades and the most important of these media are MS media which has evolved as a result of various modification of the original MS medium (Murashige and skoog, 1962), The major constituents being organic and inorganic salts vitamins and sucrose. Plant growth regulators added to the synthetic medium play a key role in this test-tube technology.

The hi-tech involves inoculation of surface sterilised plant call or tissue on synthetic medium aseptically and incubation under specified conditions of light intensity (3000 lux) and duration (16/8 hrs of light and dark regime), temperature (25±1°C) and relative humidity (60 to 70 per cent.

The ICAR, CSIR-funded projects are being carried out in the various universities, colleges, institutes located in different parts of the country. The National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi, is a premier institute instrumental in the research, teaching and extension activities, besides the JNU, Delhi University, the PAU, Ludhiana, and the HAU, Hisar, where work with international collaboration is in programmes.

Spectacular exploitation of the technology has been made by private agro-based companies in the field of micropropagation and crop improvement.

Water hyacinth: a paradoxical plant
By G.S. Dhillon

REPORTS in the print media indicate that the Punjab Government has waged a full-scale war against water hyacinth growing in the Harike Lake. The water hyacinth is a paradoxical plant. Under controlled conditions it works as a friendly plant, but left uncontrolled in the environment where enough food is available through the water body containing “washed-in” nutrients in the form of nitrates and residue from phosphatic fertilisers it grows as a wild weed having obnoxious character.

This plant, whose natural habitat is South America, got imported as an exotic flower plant some time in early 1870s. In the environment which did not contain any of its natural enemies to control its growth, it soon proliferated into an obnoxious weed choking many wide water bodies.

This species is perhaps the most productive aquatic plant in existence and the most successful weed in terms of its advective speed. It often forms dense standing crop in natural systems of 2kg/m2. It possess a very high leaf area index of eight.

It has been found that the canopy fluctuations of growth enables the species to “maximise solar energy capture”, while minimising the respiratory losses incurred by the supportive system i.e. non-photosynthetic part.

Although this species is a C3 photosynthesis category, yet its productivity and growth is much greater during the “colonisation phase” in natural stand and once a dense mat is formed the growth rate drops. If this species, while in cultivation, is harvested frequently so as to maintain the standing crop, the productive rate can be maximised to 0.64 kg/m2/day in the sub-tropical climate like ours. It may be interesting to make comparison with some other terrestrial species of the C4 variety crop plants like sugarcane, corn, sorghum, etc which have a short term yield of 0.3 to 0.52 kg/m2/day.

Harvested water-hyacinth can be put to many uses and some of these are producing methane gas through anaerobic digestion. The resulting slurry can be used as fertiliser after sun-drying; water-hyacinth grown in clean water bodies can be used as animal feed by making silage; substrate made from the water-hyacinth plants can be used for growing mushroom and the substrate has been found to possess a very high biological efficiency of 9 per cent; water-hyacinth plant can be used for reclamation of alkaline soils; parts of the plant and not whole of it can be used for making art paper; and when used as part of the waste water treatment system, this species can be depended upon for extracting toxic heavy metals like mercury, copper, cadmium, chromium, etc from the water being treated.

NASA (USA) has found that the water-hyacinth has a beneficial potential in the closed ecological life-support system (CELS) for space applications.

It may be mentioned that the waste water treatment plant of Walt Disney’s Wonderland utilises the water-hyacinth plants for obtaining the effluent of secondary stage standards i.e. having the BOD less than 30 mg/1.

In Florida (USA) the growth of this species in natural water bodies is welcomed and controlled for purification of water resource. In 1973 at the University of Florida a Centre for Wetlands was formed to explore the use of natural systems for renovating waste waters. In spite of their nuisance value the ecological and environmental capacity of the vascular aquatic plants like water-hyacinth, especially their capability to improve water quality, was proved beyond any doubt by the researches carried out at the centre.

This efforts led to the enactment of the Federal Clear Water Act, 1977, which resulted in the establishment of thousands of waste water treatment facilities in the USA.

At Sangli (Maharashtra) a plant has been in operation for over three decades, which not only treats the domestic sewage in a water-hyacinth based treatment plant but also produces biogas by anaerobic digestion of the harvested water-hyacinth plants. The effluent from the plant is dried and sold as fertiliser. The plant has a capability of 79 per cent biodegradation of the available carbon in the species and by digestion of 1 kg of fresh water-hyacinth plants (harvested) the amount biogas obtained is around 23 litres. In the plant daily 25 per cent of the area covered with the water-hyacinth plants is cleared or harvested and the system has been found sustainable.

An appeal is hereby made that we should not undertake outright destruction of the wonder plant, but try to manage it through appropriate control so as to domesticate the growth in large water bodies like the Harike Lake. It will help improve the water quality of the water in which it grows if properly harvested and subjected to biological control through use of weevils.

The IPRI (Amritsar) has, with great difficulty, imported weevils from South America and made efforts to adapt these weevils to our climate. Now effects of the weevils released can be seen in the Harike Lake. The mechanical operation mode being adopted in Operation Sahyog will not be able to differentiate between declared enemy i.e. the water-hyacinth plant, and the weevils residing on and working on the plants for ensuring their destruction.

Farm operations for Nov 

Ornamentals:
— Transplanting of the nursery of winter flowers can be continued in this month also. To use the winter season annuals in beds and for making a herbicious border, plant dwarf seasonals in the front row, medium sized in the centre and taller ones at the back side. Similarly, for flower colour combinations, grow contrast coloured annuals side by side (e.g. red and blue) of harmonious (e.g. red and pink) and so on.

— Progressive Farming, PAU