Rasi Seeds Pvt Ltd has tied up with Israeli firm Evogene Ltd to introduce the latter’s yield-enhancing and drought-tolerant gene traits into its hybrid rice varieties.

As part of the deal, Rasi Seeds will be granted an exclusive licence to a portfolio of 24 genes – 12 each – with yield-enhancing and drought-resistant traits. These genes have been identified and prioritised through Evogene’s computational genomic technology and validated in model plants. They are identified from different cultivated species such as sorghum and corn among others.

“We will integrate the licensed genes into our research and development pipeline and evaluate them in rice field trials,” said Dr M. Ramasami, Chairman and Managing Director, Rasi Seeds. However, Mr Ramasami did not disclose the financial terms of the deal but said it may take about six to seven years for the company to commercialise the hybrid rice incorporated with these genes into the Indian market.

The yield-enhancing genes would help improve the yields by 15-20 per cent, while the drought-resistant rice could be grown with less water and even in rainfed areas, Dr Ramasami said.

Under the agreement, Rasi Seeds has been granted rights to take the hybrid rice to South East Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia.

The Rehovot, Israel-headquartered Evogene Ltd will be entitled to receive milestone payments and royalties based on the sales of the resulting product. The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange listed firm uses its proprietary computational genomics technologies to provide a complete solution for plant trait improvement. It has discovered and validated over 3,000 genes in plants linked to traits such as improved yield and drought tolerance.

vishwa@thehindu.co.in

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