Intensive modern agriculture has resulted in widespread use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and heavy irrigation which resulted in problems like heavy metal and xenobiotics contamination of soil as well as increased soil salinity, all leading to yield loss. Crop plants are not naturally equipped with a machinery to cope with elevated levels of toxicity imposed by the intensive agriculture, as well as stresses imposed by climate change. An attractive option is to express such genes that can make the plants tolerant to these abiotic stresses, from heterologous sources. The widely used biocontrol fungi, Trichoderma spp., are known to be tolerant to xenobiotics, heavy metals and various abiotic stresses. A GST gene from Trichoderma virens was expressed in the experimental plant tobacco. The transgenic plants exhibited tolerance to a variety of abiotic stresses like salinity, heavy metal cadmium and the toxic xenobuitic anthracene (a ployaromatic hydrocarbon highly toxic to plants). This plasmid construct, can now be expressed in a variety of crop plants to enhance tolerance to abiotic stresses.

Note: NT- not treated and T-treated plants in the above figure.

ADVANTAGES OF TRANSGENIC PLANTS TOLERANT TO ABIOTIC STRESSES

• Since the crop plants are continuously exposed to various abiotic stresses in the field, these plants are expected to fetch higher returns.
• GST-plants are tolerant to multiple stresses- this cannot be obtained by classical plant breeding approach.
• The same construct can be used to generate many different crop plants tolerant to abiotic stresses.

Intensive modern agriculture has resulted in widespread use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and heavy irrigation which resulted in problems like heavy metal and xenobiotics contamination of soil as well as increased soil salinity, all leading to yield loss. Crop plants are not naturally equipped with a machinery to cope with elevated levels of toxicity imposed by the intensive agriculture, as well as stresses imposed by climate change. An attractive option is to express such genes that can make the plants tolerant to these abiotic stresses, from heterologous sources.

TRANSGENIC PLANTS FOR IMPROVED ABIOTIC STRESS TOLERANCE :

The widely used biocontrol fungi Trichoderma spp. are known to be tolerant to xenobiotics and heavy metals. In addition, these beneficial fungi also improve tolerance of crop plants to various abiotic stresses

We have cloned a GST gene from Trichoderma virens and expressed in the experimental plant tobacco. The transgenic plants exhibited tolerance to a variety of abiotic stresses like salinity, heavy metal cadmium and the toxic xenobuitic anthracene (a ployaromatic hydrocarbon highly toxic to plants). This plasmid construct, can now be expressed in a variety of crop plants to enhance tolerance to abiotic stresses.

ADVANTAGES OF TRANSGENIC PLANTS TOLERANT TO ABIOTIC STRESSES : 

• Since the crop plants are continuously exposed to various abiotic stresses in the field, these plants are expected to fetch higher returns.
• GST-plants are tolerant to multiple stresses- this cannot be obtained by classical plant breeding approach.
• The same construct can be used to generate many different crop plants tolerant to abiotic stresses.

REQUIREMENTS :

• Infrastructural Requirements : A tissue culture laboratory, facilities for plant transformation and green-house and contained field experimentation facilities.
• Equipment Requirement  : Standard glassware for media preparation and sterilization equipment like autoclave, sterile bench, growth room, etc. For transformation of some crops, particle gun bombardment facilities may be required.
• Manpower Requirement : One scientist with experience in plant transgenic work, Two technicians for carrying out routine work & Man-power for field testing of transgenic plants.
• Capital Requirement : This technology can be taken-up by the seed/ biotech companies already engaged in transgenic research. A plant molecular biology laboratory and facility for field testing of transgenic plants are essential.