For, the joint venture project, to be successful, has to first identify the genes causing the disease. According to the project, SSF's knowhow in biolistics would be utilised to incorporate the disease-resistant glucanese enzymes contained in the cell walls of wildvarieties of pepper like Brazilian piper colubrinum, into pepper plants. Further, the project also plans to experiment with the method of incorporating exogenic genes into plants by using agrobacteria as intermediary vectors. On its part, the biotechnology division of KAU will supply the cultures of phytophtora capsici, the fungal organism causing the foot rot disease, to SSF.

Again, the KAU lab facility will be utilised to screen the efficacy of the transformants after incorporating the disease resistant genes into the normal and good cultivars of pepper. The university has carried out preliminary studies on the efficacy of chromosomes of pathoger resistant proteins like glucanese and chitinase in inducing disease resistance in plants. It is hoped that since vegetative propagation of planting materials and tissue culture protocols in pepper have already been standardised, the transgenic technology, if successful, is expected to yield faster results.

SSF biotechlogy centre vice-president Joseph Thomas,who was in Kozhikode recently to attend a seminar on spices, said the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with KAU would be signed shortly. Already, the draft of the agreement has been sent to the university. According to Thomas, the molecular biology division of SSF's biotechnology centre had so far been carrying out transgenic research using mammalian genes for developing male sterile varieties in rice. The research programme on rice is aided by the Rockefeller Foundation. SSF is also working on a project for identifying `jumping genes' which would impart character improvements in rice.

Though it is too early to comment on the project, the scientific community here is not bemused by the project. To the claim that the success of the project could have a significant impact on pepper production in the country, in view of the fact that most of the cultivated indigenous varieties were now susceptible to foot rot disease, scientists feel that it would not be to the advantage of the country. A major portion of thepepper-producing States such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka are now under the grip of the disease.

Senior scientists at Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR) point out to the fact though the a lot research had been done on the aspect, a disease- resistant variety of the crop has not been developed so far. The traditional research to develop such varieties by making crosses between piper nigrum (black pepper) and piper colubrinum, the wild variety having resistance to the disease, failed owing to the difference in chromozomes contained in them.

More importantly, scientists point out that even in potato, with all the sophisticated technology used, a disease resistant technology has not been developed. Besides being costly, the project may take 10 to 20 years to be successful. According to PN Ravindran, principal scientist at IISR:
"Transgenic varieties in food crops have not been commercially successful anywhere in the world except in the case of tomato. The other crops on which transgenictechnology was applied are soyabeans, potato and cotton. On the other hand, China has been able to produce 75 per cent of its tobacco from transgenic varieties.

One reason for commercial failure in food crops is that transgenic varieties are said to develop antibiotic resistant genes. Therefore, scientists point out that the genetically manipulated products would bring in much damage to the exports. Currently, the country is the global leader in pepper export and pepper production. For example, the country's total production of pepper works out to more than 60,000 tonnes and export comes to around 40,000 tonnes. The global market now comes to around 1.5 lakh tonnes, but it could go up to 2 lakh tonnes.

Thus there is a deficit of 50,000 tonnes. Thus, the country could further acquire a sizeable market share if it could improve its productivity to at least 500 kg per hectare as against the present 300 kg. On the other hand, Thailand's productivity is 3,500 kg and Malaysia's 2,800 kg.

Scientists feel thatif some improvements could be made in productivity of pepper through conventional methods, the target of achieving a total production of 1,00,000 tonnes by 2000 is easily achievable.