Regulatory Challenges in Plant Breeding and Variety Adoption

1. NATIONAL SEMINAR
Regulations &
Governance Issues in
Indian Seed Sector
Regulatory
Challenges in Plant
Breeding and Variety
Adoption
Status & Opportunities
Dr Surinder K Tikoo
Founder & Res Advisor, Tierra Agrotech Ltd
September 26, 2023
ICAR Lecture Hall,
Second Floor, NASC Complex,
Pusa, New Delhi

2. Where we are

3. • Domestication of crops through continuous
selection by farmers over past 10,000 years
through natural selection led to what we eat today
• Trait Selection - removing traits like toxins,
thorns, early seed shattering or saved traits that
increased value of consumption – cosmetic
traits, yield traits, etc & even disease
resistance etc & led to landraces, or farmers’
varieties
• Selection efficiency - Since Mendel’s laws this
process of plant breeding has increased
significantly.
• NBT - since last 20 years we have achieved what
took half a century earlier
• Speed Breeding – since last 5 years is changing
the speed to delivery (S2M)
Plant Breeding last 10,000 years – in Brief
9
yrs
6
yrs
2
to
4
yrs
MAIC, DH,
MAB,SSD, GWAS
Speed Breeding
SSD, Multiple cycles/yr
Pedigree selection

4. Huge Genetics Gains since green revolution but ?
• Vegetables : CAGR - Area 3,8% & Yield 0,9% over 50 yrs – Sharp > after 1991
• Field Crops : CAGR - Area 0,42% & Yield 1,85% over 50 yrs - Sharp > after 1991

5. Challenges
preventing
realising genetic
potential

6. Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) not reached Small Farmers
• Our best farmers
can obtain yields
on par with best of
the world
• Our Average yield
are ½ of China &
¼ of USA in most
crops
• Our protected
cultivation area
isn’t reaching
desired acreage
80,0
70,0
60,0
50,0
40,0
30,0
20,0
10,0
Ton/Ha
YieldinIndia
Low
Average(FAO)
Bestfarmers
DryChillies Okra Tomato
Cauliflower
Doing more from less
Total waterfootprint of tomato per pound
1.1
Netherlands
15.2
USA
25.6
Global
34.0
China
Netherlands Crop: Tomato
25.6
Global
>80 % are Small Holder Farmers
< 1.5 acres
Protected Cultivation
Lab to Land ????

7. Regulatory Challenges that impede wide variety adoption
• Licensing models not uniform
• Certification processes diverse
• The duality of registration demand -
AICRP vs State Dept and its issues
• Quarantine issues
• Tamilnadu imported chrysanthem
infected with TSWV and western Flower
thrips. Now everyone has to face TSWV
in addition to GBNV.
• Same with black thrips which came with
ornamental crops and our chilli is
impacted
• Intellectual Property ?
• Introspection required
• Biodiversity laws.
• Imbalances exist
• Imported Grape cuttings
• Silkworm seed import prohibited
• GM lying on shelf since 2009
• Preventing benefits to reach
stakeholders
• Underemployment of the trained

8. EU- Regulatory Issues are Impeding Tech Delivery
A case study
Benefit of NBTs in breeding extends
far beyond a few cash crops and
revenue- generating traits
• Will also deliver improved niche
and minor crops supporting
European Green Deal goals &
Farm to Fork Strategy.
• Companies of all sizes are
preparing and stand ready to enter
into this endeavor also in Europe
if enabling environment is
provided
Petra Jorasch (2020), Frontiers in Plant Science, Policy & Practice Reviews, doi:10.3389/fpls.2020.582011
Does Your Company have R&D for NBT’s
% of co’s active in NBT activities in RnD
In what form are activities for NBT
Co
internal
PPP Pvt
Pvt
Other
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Crop Groups your company is actively in NBT
Frts. Veg. Potato Cereals Maize. Oilseeds Pulses Orna. Sugar. Other
mental Beet
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INDIA IS PRETTY MUCH IN SAME BOAT BARRING COTTON.
Yes No
Favoring only big crops today

9. PPP Collaboration is not where it needs to be
Plant Breeding Machine
Currently Silos within & across Public & Private
Trust Deficit ?????? Expectations from each need clarity

10. Opportunities
Research

11. Public Pvt Partnership Models – Need to Adopt
Public Private
Public/Private Private Private
A: Conventional
B: Collaborate
• Design
• Develop
• Register
• Patent
License
• Pilot
• Increase
• Sale
Exclusive/Non Exclusive
• Jt Funding
• Design
• Develop
• Jt Patent
• Early stage
test
• Fine Tune
• PVPFRA
• Wide Area
Testing
• Produce
• Market
????
Current System

12. Extending Sowing Window through Breeding &
diversifying what we eat can increase variety adoption
• Vegetables needed year
round
• All seasons Cauliflower,
Cabbage today
• Need Heat & wet tolerance
in several crops to imprive
variety adoption area
• Need to allow GM & GE
Need strong market linkages
to improve ROI to farmers
Tomato Growers
Conference a good model
• Price Rise is a challenge – June to August & Oct, Nov every year
• June – August harvests are of fruits setting in April-June – High Temp & unseasonal rains
• Oct –Nov harvests are for fruit set in July/August – High rainfall, humidity & high temp

13. Spectacular Trait Development Needed
eg.Self defoliation etc
Dwarf Plant types, with synchronous boll maturity
and self defoliation @ Tierra Research farm
Xing Ping Zhang – Science Fellow at Syngenta
Attached is the picture of Crisp Delight that I taken from my breeding nursery in
2012 at Woodland station. This ultra firm flesh seedless watermelon again is
resistant to Fusarium wilt and anthracnose. Now it is not only used by fresh cut
business but also in hot and humid central America where regular seedless get too
soft too quickly. It again sets another standards for breeders to work on. This is a
example of judiciously use of wild watermelon germplasm in developing
commercial products. – Xing Ping Zhang
Seedless watermelon Single harvest cotton – Tierra field pics
45
41
54
33
55
52
16
47
41
17
24
56
56
53
38
18
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10
20
30
40
50
60
N 0 N 60 N 120 N 180
IHR 707 IHR 726 Arka Vikas Pusa Ruby
S.K.Tikoo, B.S.Prabhakar & V.Shukla (1989), Ind J Hort, 46,1,39-43
l Agronomic
Research
to harness
right
genetic
potential of
new
varieties
needs
aggressive
follow up
Breeding for NUE High Nutrition Tomatoes – Vit C, Lycopene, TLCV

14. Data Management
Phenome Networks Confidential ©
• Availability – online platform works everywhere
• Scalability – ability to support any-size data
• Connectivity – to other software / devices
• Security – make sure your data stays YOURS
• Customer Service – provide on/offline service
Software Solutions for
Plant Breeding & Variety Testing
Efficient Informed decisions ? & Information retrieval ??
Combining Ability ANOVA
Regression Analysis - positioning

15. Agronomy Platform - PPP as way forward
A good example of PPP on varietal evaluation under PPP & Data Management in Australia
grdc.com; www.nvtonline.com.au
Stringent Testing will ensure selecting for low & high input farmers

16. Research Consortiums on Specific Topics
• Pre-Breeding projects – These are Pre-
Compete projects for Pvt Sector
• Requirements
• Basic research facilities & projects
• Germplasm having new traits – especially
crop wild relatives,
• Technically competent scientists to drive such
complex projects
• Molecular labs
• Examples
• WVC – Tomato, Hotpepper, Cucurbits
• ICRISAT – Pearl Millet, Sorghum
• IMIC by CIMMYT – Maize in India
A very successful PPP – ICRISAT/ICAR

17. Opportunities
Conclusions

18. Regulatory Policy Reforms 1/2
> ROI for farmer & downstream – Needs Global Standards
Land reforms
Farm
mechanization
Intercropping
needs
attention
FPO
Extension
Army
Cover Crops –
Hairy vetch
> Nirrogen Fixation
Balanced- Manures/
Biologicals
Chemical fertilizers-
Spacing &
fertilizer expts
• Okra example

19. Regulatory Policy Reforms 2/2
> ROI for farmer & downstream – Needs Global Standards
Financial Credit & Crop Insurance
Spacing & Fertilizer Experimentation before Transfering New Products
Supply chain & Warehousing
Transportation, Cold chain, Packaging
Reducing middlemen
Use of approved growth regulators for fruit ripening – strong policy
Providing adequate market intelligence & repeatable market linkages

20. Summing Up
Licensing existing
technologies to
industry
Research Consortiums
on specific topics
Servicing industry
requirements – using
infrastructure
Involvement in
research & curricula
development
Digital data
management
Agric Extension – skill
development

21. Thank You
Let Policies bring us all a beautiful sunshine
especially for small holder farmers