Marking with the help of Guj Knife for Controlled Downward Tapping against CUT of Indian Rubber Board and IUT of Dr. L. Thankamma.

The tapping ladder with a height of 4.5 feet to tap from the branch union of rubber trees.

The tapping from branch union in winter and rainy season for aged trees to get more yield from food storage.

The flow of latex is from bottom to top, because the food storage at Phelloderm can’t bring down. After the tapping ‘A’ panel this type of Controlled Downward Tapping is helpful to save the trees in winter OR rainy season and to increase production without damaging milk vessels. The tapping ladder is easy to carry from one place to another by folding  it to a comfortable stage. Guj Knife can be used to mark on both sides from bottom to branch union. In summer the tapping panel at lower level will get more production.

Field trials of GM rubber need of hour: Jairam Ramesh

NEW DELHI: Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has sought to allay the apprehensions raised by the Kerala government about his decision to allow field trials of genetically modified rubber in the state.

In marked contrast to his stand on genetically modified (GM) food crops, the minister has argued that field trials are important for the extension of natural rubber cultivation to non-traditional areas like Tripura, Assam, Meghalaya and North Konkan. Ramesh has argued that the GM approach has become necessary as the challenge of climate change has already resulted in longer dry periods for rubber cultivation.

In a letter to the environment minister on December 20, Kerala agriculture minister,Mullakkara Retnakaran, had pointed out that the field trials which would be conducted by the Rubber Research Institute of India in Kottayam could impact not only the state’s agriculture, “but its agrobiodiversity as well as the highly pristine and vaulable biodiversity”. Retnakaran had also protested the decision arguing that Kerala desires to remain GM free.

The Kerala agriculture minister had argued that since agriculture was a subject on the state list, all future decisions to permit open field trials or releases should be taken after receiving written consent from the states. Responding to the Kerala minister’s concerns, Ramesh has stressed that the GM plant which has been developed by the Rubber Research Institute incorporates a target gene from rubber itself. “Strictly speaking, therefore, this GM plant is not a transgenic in the normal sense of the word,” the minister stressed.

He has clarified that the field trials will be conducted in designated experimental sites inside research farms. “The field trials will not be done in commercially cultivated holdings.”

Further, the Rubber Research Institute of India is not a private research institute, and is therefore not interested “in making GM rubber and making money by selling it…There are no patents for RRII rubber clones which are not IPR protected as far as Indian growers are concerned.”

Finally, the minister has said that the commercial cultivation of GM rubber could be contemplated only on the basis of the proposed field trials, which will take about 14 years.

“A decision on commercial cultivation will be taken only after the field trials are completed fully, at which point of time the views of the state governments concerned will be given due consideration.” The minister has stressed that GM rubber cannot be compared to the bt brinjal case.

Analysis of Rubber Statistics

Decision taken in the 104th meeting of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee
(GEAC) held on 15.11.2010.

The 104 meeting of the GEAC was held on 15.11.2010 in the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) under the chairmanship of Shri M.F. Farooqui, Additional Secretary, MoEF and Chairman, GEAC. The deliberations and decision taken in the GEAC meeting in respect of Agenda items 4 to 6 are
as follows:

…………………….

5.11 Permission to conduct Biosafety Research Level-1 (BRL-1) trial of Para Rubber Tree [Hevea brasiliensis [Wild. Ex Adr. De Juss.) Muell. Arg.] on Hb. SOD-L1 & L2 (Two transgenic events lines)] by Rubber Research Institute of India, Kottayam.

5.11.1 The Committee considered the request of Rubber Research Institute of India, Kottayam. has requested permission to conduct Biosafety Research Level-1 (BRL-1) trial of Para Rubber Tree [Hevea brasiliensis (Wild. Ex Adr. De Juss.) Muell. Arg.] on Hb. SOD-L1 & L2 (two transgenic events (lines) developed using the same gene construct in the same species and variety) containing manganese superoxide dismutase gene (cDNA) . Trials will be conducted at two locations, namely Dapchari, Thane and Chethackal, Thombikandom, Kerala belongs to Rubber Research institute in an area of 0.4 ha.

5.11.2 The Committee noted that the purpose of the trials is to evaluate:
i. The potential of Hevea brasiliensis transgenic plant integrated with MnSOD gene for enhanced tolerance to abiotic stress and tapping panel dryness syndrome as well as to assess the capability of the plants to grow better with higher yield under adverse conditions.

ii. The proposed design is RBD with four treatments, five replicates and a plot size of six. Boundaries and isolation belt will be planted with non-modified Hevea brasiliensis plants.

iii. The data to be collected include growth and latex yield data recording; physiological parameters determining abiotic stress tolerance such as leaf water potential, photosynthetic net assimilation rate (‘A’), fluorescent parameters like Dark Fv/Fm & Phi. PSII; antioxidant enzyme assay of superoxide dismutase & peroxidase and estimation of H2O2 content.

iv. TPD (tapping panel dryness syndrome ) incidence will also be recorded.

5.11.3 The Committee also noted the following reproductive isolation measures are
proposed:
i. In the Trial site-I, towards the eastern and western side, for about 200 m no sexually compatible species are growing. Towards the northern and southern side, 75 m each will be kept as isolation belt by planting the same species.

ii. In the Trial site-II, 50 m on all sides will be kept as isolation belt by planting the same species.

iii. In both the trial sites, after flowering (by the 5 year after planting), all the seeds produced by the existing plants of the same species within 100 m from the boundary of the trial area will be collected and destroyed by burning.

5.11.4 The Committee further noted that the IBSC has recommended the proposal. The application was earlier considered by the RCGM in the 88 meeting held on 20.04.2010 wherein it was decided that the opinion of three scientists specializing in molecular biology viz. Dr. M. Udaya Kumar, UAS, Bangalore; Dr. V. Siva Reddy, ICGEB, New Delhi and Dr. Sanjay Kumar, IHBT, Palampur may be taken prior to forwarding the same for GEAC approval as this would be the first transgenic tree crop to be permitted for BRL-I trials. Based on comments of the three scientists and clarifications submitted by the applicant, the proposal was recommended by the RCGM in the 94th meeting held on 26.10.2010. The Committee considered the comments received from the experts and noted that the applicant has provided requisite clarification satisfactorily.

5.11.5 In view of the above stated facts and taking into consideration the recommendations of the RCGM, the Committee approved the request to conduct Biosafety Research Level-1 (BRL-1) trials of Para Rubber Tree [Hevea brasiliensis (Wild. Ex Adr. De Juss.) Muell. Arg.] on Hb. SOD-L1 & L2 (Two transgenic events lines.

See an old post below:

We want soil health for sustainable agriculture and survival of humanity.