ANNUAL REPORT - Department of Biotechnology

ased identification of the strains were
achieved by MKU, Madurai. Successful cloning of
the target genes, construction of vectors for
transformation and transformation of selected
fluorescent Pseudomonas strains for ACC
deaminase gene expression were demonstrated. The
centre will continue with the line of investigation to
bring the hypotheses of improved rhizocompetence
of the transformed strains through over-expression of
the ACC-demainase and catalase genes.
The other unit of MS University procured cloned cross
utilizing receptor genes (fhuA and fegA) from external
sources and subcloned the same in an expression
vector. It used the cloned constructs to transform
strains and reported improved siderophore crossutilization
phenotype of the transformed strains.
Some of the transconjugants of a strain for fegA
showed improved plant growth performance as
compared to the parent strain.
Attempts have been made to clone the pqq gene from
Pseudomonas striata following the genomic library
and sub-cloning approach at IARI with some success
achieved for development of cloned constructs. The
main objective of the programme of developemt N.
muscorum transformants with mps phenotype
through gdh expression under expression of pqq will
be undertaken during 2007. However, in another trial
at IARI it was successfully brought out the potential of
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the genetically modified (nif ) strains with regard to
growth and yield promotion of wheat by elaborate
container grown studies. The results interpreted from
N-response curves showed that inoculation with the
modified strains resulted in higher N-accretion by
wheat plants as compared to that with the wild type
parent strains, both in presence and absence of low
levels of externally applied chemical N-fertilizer.
Evidence has been provided for differential survival
rates of the transformed strains in soil, in some cases
at par with the wild types.
IGEB developed strains by site directed mutagenesis
of host specific Rhizobium strains which showed
atypical nodulation properties with non-host legumes.
A few mutant strains showed strong salinity and
acidity tolerance.
Biopesticides and Crop Management
R&D efforts were continued to develop production
technologies of bio-control agents to control major
pests and weeds of economically important crops,
vegetables and other important plantation crops. A
multicentric programme on control of storage pests
was initiated during this period. Various ongoing and
completed projects were reviewed for their progress
and achievements in the three Task Force meetings.
15 new projects have been funded in different
aspects of biological control. Salient achievements
of the few projects are as follows:
Microbial Pesticides and Natural Enemies
Indigenous entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN)
are being used for the management insect pests of
rice at DRR, Hyderabad. Three EPN isolates viz.
Steinernema thermophilum, S. asiaticum and
Rhabditis (Oscheius) sp. have shown
entomopathogenic ability to infect and multiply on
Corcyra cephalonica and Galleria mellonella. The
recovery of Oscheius sp. and S. thermophilum from
G. mellonella was much higher than C. cephalonica.
Both EPNs survived up to 50 days in storage.
Bioefficacy studies against rice yellow stem borer
revealed that both nematodes caused 92-98%
mortality of the egg masses. S. thermophilum caused
faster mortality rate against larvae of both the
pathogens.
Two novel heat tolerant EPN viz. Steinernema
masoodi and S. seemae have been identified at IIPR,
Kanpur. Three field trials to establish the efficacy of S.
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masoodi indicated that at a dose of 1.5 10 infective
juveniles/ha at IIPR recorded 83% larval mortality of
H. armigera with an increase of 53.9% in yield over
control. In another trial, survival of S. masoodi on
pigeon pea after foliar application was conducted and
evening spray was found to be quite effective with
respect to EPN survival. A similar study was carried
out at RAU, Udaipur. Steinernema and
Heterorhabditis collected from different agro climatic
regions were mass multiplied both in vivo and in vitro
and rearing of Corcyra cephelonica and Galleria
mellonella was also done on artificial diet. Bioefficacy
of promising populations of Steinernema and
Heterorhabditis against H. armigera under pot
condition on tomato is in progress.
Under a collaborative project, arbuscular
mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)and EPN cruisers interaction
is being evaluated on the reproduction and
51 Research and Development