Hyderabad, India and Adelaide,
South Australia
May 25, 2007
Vibha Agrotech Ltd., one
of the fastest growing crop genetics and hybrid seed companies
in India, based in Hyderabad has signed an agreement with the
Internationally renowned
Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics (ACPFG) to
work together to develop useful products for the farming
community. A Memorandum of Understanding between the two
organizations was signed by Mr. Michael Gilbert, General
Manager, ACPFG and Mr. P. Vidyasagar, CMD, Vibha Agrotech Ltd.
Vibha Agrotech Ltd. (Vibha Seeds) has three affiliate companies;
Nusun Genetic Research Ltd., Seed Innovations Pvt. Ltd and
Centromere Bio-solutions Pvt. Ltd. The Vibha group is engaged in
crop improvement research, seed production and marketing of
superior quality seeds in 22 selected agri-horticultural crops
and has so far marketed over 100 products for cultivation in 18
Indian states. More than 50 research scientists are working in
multi-disciplinary crop improvement research programs.
The Vibha group believes in increasing productivity of its
products by integrating new technological developments like
genetic engineering with conventional plant breeding methods.
The group has developed several superior quality Bt cotton
hybrids for release to farmers this year. The company is also a
pioneer in the development of mid-oleic sunflower hybrids in
India, which produce heart-healthy oil.
ACPFG, based at the Waite Campus of The University of Adelaide,
is committed to discovering, isolating, locating the positions
of and analyzing the functions of new genes related to abiotic
stresses. It aims to develop cereal varieties with increased
tolerance to environmental stresses such as temperature, water
logging, drought, salinity and nutrient deficiencies or
toxicities, cold and frost. Abiotic stresses are responsible for
major crop yield and quality loss throughout the world.
ACPFG has recognized the need to develop collaborative research
projects with overseas partners to give access to new resources,
technologies and outcomes. It has developed and fostered
relationships with selected companies with complementary
research programs and offer new delivery paths for ACPFG
technology.
CEO, Professor Peter Langridge, said "India offers a rapidly
expanding agbiotech sector that is receptive to new
technologies. Issues of land degradation and climate change are
common to both Australia and India. ACPFG is focused on delivery
of genomics technologies and Vibha offers a significant
opportunity to see new technologies used effectively and for the
benefit of the broad community ."
Whilst Vibha Agrotech Ltd. has been successful in developing
excellent hybrids with insect and disease resistance, this
partnership would give the company access to technologies to
tackle the more difficult problems of abiotic stresses faced by
the farming community.
Other news
from the
Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics |
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