Agribiotech sector eyes $49 bn cut flower market

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Chennai, Apr 6: Agriculture biotechnology which has been creating news by making disease resistant grains, fruits, oilseeds and vegetables, and cash crops like cotton through genetic modification is finding its way in a big way into the $49 billion cut flower industry.

Genetic modification techniques are used to create new varieties and new colours in traditional export-oriented flowers like roses.

“Genetic modification techniques are used for breeding unique shape, colour and scent in addition to the usual breeding objectives of pest and disease resistance,” says the international service for the acquisition of agribiotech applications (ISAAA).

The most spectacular and marketable success story of Genetically modified roses is the creation of blue rose, after 14 years of research, by a joint venture of a major Japanese breeder Suntory Ltd and the Australia-based Florigene Ltd. They used the gene silencing technology of Australian CSIRO for the blue rose.

A Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) release said that the world's first blue rose with blue pigment was developed in three steps: Turn off the red pigment, open the door to production of blue pigment and then produce blue pigment.

The Japanese researchers have begun field trials for the blue roses. It may take three-four years for its commercial release.

The creation of a new rose variety is important as roses command a share of $10 billion in the global market of $49 billion cut flower sales a year.

In 1996 Florigene introduced the first GM carnation flowers with pale violet colour called ‘Moondust’. Later it added five more species of carnation with different features of violet and blue through the GM technology.

According to ISAAA, besides the development of designer plants such as light blue torenias, bronze-coloured forsythia and yellow petunia, other new characteristics in cut flowers are being explored by different

corporations.

These include new fragrances in rose, prolonged self-life, drought and stress tolerance, and cold resistance to withstand the long-haul transport.

Indian floriculture industry has been shifting from traditional flowers to cut flowers for exports. The liberalised economy has given an impetus to the Indian entrepreneurs for establishing export-oriented floriculture units under controlled climatic conditions.

In India, states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Haryana have emerged as major floriculture centres in recent times.

About 60,000 hectre is under floriculture at present. Production of flowers is estimated to be 200,000 tonne of loose flowers and 500 million cut flowers.