1. Building Biotechnology for a
Knowledge-based Bioeconomy
Brain Storming Session
Prioritization of Research for
Development of N-W Himalyan States
12-13 July 2013, GBPUAST Pantnagar
Dr Nazir A Ganai
Head, Division of Biotechnology
SKUAST-Kashmir

2. Agriculture and the Bieconomy

3. Contents:
 A SWOT analysis of agriculture in J & K
 Status of agriculture in J & K
 Challenges and Opportunities facing agriculture
 Bioeconomy- the way forward?
What is it?
Why Bioeconomy ?
Global trends
 Our Initiatives in Biotech applications
 Recommendations

4. North-Westen Himalyan States
J & K: 2.22 lac Sq km
(65% )
H P: 0.55 lac Sq km
(18% )
Uttrakuand: 0.53 lac
Sq km (17% )

5. Land Resource in J & K ( Ha)
G-2,65,000
E-74,000 D- 1,05,000
C-2,11,300
B- 2,91,000
A - 6,58,000
F- 7,52,000
A Forest
B Non-Agricultural Land
C Barren & Uncultivable Land
D Permanent Pastures & Other Grazing Land
E Fallow Land Including Current Fallows
F Net Area Sown (31% of the land use area) or 7 % of total Geographic area
G Area under Fruit Crops

6. Contribution of different sectors to
economy in J & K
46%
25%
30%
50%
35%
15%
J & K National

7. Industrial investment in J & K
National

9. Agribase economy in J & K
• the economy - bio-mass based.
• Subsistence requirements of the people for:
– food grains,
– firewood,
– fodder,
– timber for housing,
– milk, meat, fibre and
– medicines are derived from the plant and animal
resources available in the state.

10. Agribase economy in J & K
• Inputs for industrial and commercial sectors - obtained
from the bio-mass produce of the state.
• Export of fresh and dry fruits,
• the famous saffron and honey,
• timber, resin, medicinal items,
• the basmati of Jammu region
• Famous handicrafts:
• Pashmina shawls, carpets etc
• artefacts carved from walnut
• Tourism industry: tourists are attracted largely by the
scenic natural beauty of the state with its lofty lush green
mountain ranges, towering snow-clad peaks, placid sparking
lakes, bubbling streams and springs.

11. Our strengths and opportunities
• Vast area: 2.22 lac sq kms (67% of N-W
Himalya)
• Diverse and varied agro-climatic zones
– Cold arid ladakh region
– Temperate Kashmir region
– Sub-tropical jammu region
• Rich Biodiversity
– Ethnic diversity
– Flora : 3,054 species.
– Domestic & Wild life: 16% of india
– Rich Medicinal & Aromatic plants

12. Strengths ……..
• Unique Cash crops
• Kashmir:
– Saffron – monopoly in india
– Apple: 77% production in country
– Walnuts: monopoly
– Spices: Kashmiri mirchi, kala zeera,
– Floriculture
• Jammu:
– Basmiti- Quality
– Rajmash
– Black caraway (Zeera)
• Ladakh
– Pashmina fibre
– Apricot
– Herbs related amchi system of medicine

13. Diversity
Temperature +40O C to - 40OC
Altitude 3000 ft to 24000 ft above MSL
Rainfall 110 mm Ladakh to 600 mm

14. Effect of herbal extracts on the cell
proliferation in Prostate cancer
cell line, C4-2 cells
Preserving and enhancing the indigenous plant knowledge is actually rescuing a global heritage
and is a recognized tool in search for new drugs and pharmaceutical sources, (Lambert et al.,
1997)
Nearly 50 per cent of the plant species described in British
pharmacopoeia are reported to grow in Kashmir valley
• Till date more than 5000 aromatic/medical plants have been discovered in
Jammu and Kashmir.
• Scientific observations reveal that the state could become the superpower in
future for the herbal medicines and perfumes if the huge resources are
exploited properly and effectively

15. Floral Diversity Floral Diversity
Animal Diversity Tree Diversity

16. Challenges facing agriculture
• Widening demand and supply gaps:
– 40% import of food grains - 8 lac tones ( ~ Rs 9 billion)
– 20% vegetables - 1 lac tonnes (~ Rs 1 billion)
– 60% meat (sheep and goat) (~ Rs 3 billion)
• Increasing population pressure from highest growth rates in
the country (2.7 % vs 1.6%). ,
• Shrinking land resources due to population expansion,
urbanisation and soil degradation, indiscriminate &
unplanned growth of housing sector
• Fragile Climate: Extreme winters, long dry spells,
• Rain fed agriculture due to peculiar topography
• Receding glaciers due to global warming further aggravate
the problems inherent to the rain fed agriculture J & K,

17. ----challanges
• deforestation, loss of biodiversity and qualitative
deterioration of the pastures
• indiscriminate use of chemical fertilisers and
pesticides contaminating food, soil and water
beyond minimum permissible levels.
• over exploitation of natural resource base and
environmental quality decline,
• global warming and climate change leading to
emergence of new biotic and abiotic stresses
• stagnation in productivity of agricultural crops
• Subsistence agriculture ( less renumerative)

18. Vanishing “Venice of Asia” , Dal Lake disappearing
(National Geographic News, June 9, 2010)
Deweeding of Dal Lake costs millions of rupees to Kashmir b
In 20th Century “Dal Lake” represented a goldmine of Tourism in Kashmir

19. Biotechnology has a solution for ‘dying Dal Lake’
Grass Carp, a
voracious grass eater
fish, when genetically
modified in china ,
resulted in 42%
increase in growth
rate and 16%
increase in grass
consumption
Transgenic carp
Chinese Science Bulletin 2003 Vol.
48 No.16 1764 1770

20. Sustainable production of
renewable biomass?

21. PM Dr. Manmohan Singh at G. B. Pant University of
Agriculture and Technology on June 19, 2010, said…
“ policymakers and scientists need to put their heads
together for developing sustainable technologies that
can produce more from less in the background of the
new challenges of global warming and climate change…”

22. The bioeconomy : the way forward
 the sustainable production of renewable biomass which
includes any biological material to be used as raw
material and
 conversion of biomass into a range of food, health, fibre
and industrial products and energy
 can play an important role in both creating economic
growth, and in formulating effective responses to
pressing challenges- food /nutritional security, clean
environment and human health

23. Way forward - KBBE
• Convergence of Biotechnology , nanotchnology and
bioinformatics
• provides the knowledge-base for the sustainable
management, production and use of biological resources…
• provides new, safe, affordable and eco-efficient products …
• Through
• Shift in practice from a sectoral approach to our problems
towards a more integrated approach of the KBBE.
• Knowledge and innovation in bilogical sciences

24. Biomass
feedstock
Animal and plant
therapeutics
and diagnostics Nutraceuticals
and
pharmaceutical
production
Fine chemical
production
Research on
genomes, cell
processes, and
bioinformatics
Health:
new therapies
and diagnostics
Industry:
enzymes, biofuels,
and bioplastics
Primary production:
food, feed, fibre,
and cellulosic crops
Integration across Biotechnology Applications

26. Our Initiatives and Successes in
Biotech Applications
-- fragmented nd isolated attempts

27. Biotechnological Interventions for
Improving Reproductive Performance
• Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) in Goats & Sheep
• Simplified/Modified zona-free Cloning Technique
 “First Cloned Pashmina Goat “NOORI” born at Division of
Biotechnology, SKUAST-K, Srinagar, through this Technique”.
“Noorie” with her foster dam
•
“Noorie” at 1 year of Age
•

28. Enucleated Eggs
Reconstructed embryos
cultured in lab for 7 days
Blastocyst
Clones
Goat ovaries
Donor cell culture
Somatic cell donor
Oocyte –somatic cell fusion
Foster mother
PRODUCTION OF CLONED PASHMINA GOAT AT SKUAST KASHMIR
Incubation (38.5 C)
Cloning. Laboratory, Centre of Animal Biotechnology, SKUAST-K, Srinagar

29. Awards & Achievements
PI of the Project receiving cerificate of
appreciation from DG, ICAR and
Minister for Agriculture, J&K
J&K Tableau on Republic Day 2013 depicting
Centre of Biotechnology, SKUAST Kashmir and its
research achievements
PI being awarded by the Chief
Minister Omer Abdullah

30. Bioprospecting of genes for cold
tolerance
Pashmina Goat Bactrian Camel
Abiotic Stress Factor : Cold Stress

31. Heatmap analysis of differentially
expressed genes in pashmina
goat under Cold vs Hot
conditions in Blood and Skin
Important candidate genes identified
1. ADRB: Adrenoegic receptor binding
2. CIRBP: cold induced RNA binding
3. RBM3: RNA binding motif
4. UCP1 : Uncoupling protein
5. HIF-1 Hypoxia inducible Factor
6. GAS7 : Growth arrest specific
7. IGF1: Insulin like growth factor
8. LSP lympocyte specific protein
9. PAM: Neurotransmitter
10.HSP105
11.HSP47
12.HSP70-1

32. Figure 2: Ven diagram representing the number of transcripts in skin samples of pashmina goats
whose changes in expression during different seasons.

34. Camel Genome Information Resource
A second database on complete
transcriptome of ~ 21000 transcripts is
under development.

35. Other Important Achievements
• Vaccine against foot rot in sheep and
goat
– Increased Fecundity in Sheep
• M A Introgression of FecB gene
• Lambing percentage increase from 80%
to 150
•

36. Apple industry-
 India : 7th largest producer of apple
 Kashmir: 70% to apple production
 At a cost of : 7000 Tons of fungicides annually
 Concerns: Impacts Human Health & Environment,
future marketing oppurtunities
 Challenge:
 Breed for disease resistance
 Develop Bio control agents for disease management
State Area
(000 HA)
Production
(ooo MT)
Productivity
(MT/HA)
J & K 133 1330 10
HP 97 510 5
Uttranchal 32 132 4

37. Biopesticides developed in SKUAST-K:
Biowilt- X (Trichoderma harzianum) Biocomp-X (Pseudomonas fluorescens)
 USA Patent No: (No. US 7, 815, 903 B2; Date of Grant 19-10-2010) and
 India Patent No: (239609; Date of Grant 26-03-2010).

38. Biofertilizers for organic agriculture
1. Phosphate solubilizing bacteria
– Makes available 30 kg of phosphorus
to the crops per hectare per year.
– Improves crop growth by secretion of
growth regulators.
– Seed treatment : Mix 250 ml with
the seed needed for one acre and dry
for 20 minutes under shade before
2. Shalimar Microbes:
• Consortium of different microbes
like phosphate solubilizing bacteria,
actinomycete, Lactobacillus.
• Use: solid waste decomposition and
also acts as a biofertilizer.

39. SHALIMAR BIOFERTILIZER (Azotobacter)
• Fixes 20-40 kg nitrogen from atmosphere per
hectare per year.
• Increases yield by 10 – 25%.
• Improves crop growth by secretion of growth
regulators and vitamins.
• Protects crops against some soil borne pathogens.
• Seed treatment: : 250ml/acre
• Seedling root dipping : 1000ml/acre
• Field application :
400ml/acre (Mix the biofertilizer with the soil
before sowing
• Suitable for crops : Wheat,
oat, barley, Mustard, seasum, Linseeds,
Sunflower, castor, Pearl millets, Finger millets,
and floriculture plants etc.

40. SHALIMAR BIOFERTILIZER
(Rhizobium phaseoli)
• Features:
• Fixes 100 to 300 kg nitrogen per hectare
in one crop season.
• Increases yield by 10-35%.
• Improves crop growth by secretion of
growth regulators.
• Protects crops against some soil borne
pathogens.
• Seed treatment : 250ml/acre
• Field application : 400ml/acre (Mix the
biofertilizer with the soil before sowing).
• Suitable for crops Rajmash

41. E-learning portal
www.starelearning.org
MIS developed for:
1. FARMMAN 1.00 Management
of Cattle and buffalo breeding
research data
2. SheepMan 1.00: Online tool
for management of sheep
research data across farms
3. SoftMate: Tool for planning
breeding programs to avoid the
inbreeding depression

42. New Initiative:
Dairy Development – Challenge of 21st Century
 Demand- High
 Nutritional security to 1.6 billion people by 2030
 Rising purchase power
 Improving health conciousnes
 Support to Dairy Industry
 Challenge for 2030
 4 fold growth: 127 million tones to 550 million tones
by (300 ml to 1000 ml person / day
 5 fold growth: 14 lac tons to 74 lac tones
 Constraint
 Acute dearth of proven germplasm
 Feed and Fodder availability
 Health cover

43. Dairy Development:
Integrating
Biotechnology and IT
e-linking of
farmers cows
with the hub (elite
nucleus herd) for
pursuit of ONBS-
MOET

44. Approach…..
 e-registration of farmers cows for :
 delivery of services and collection of feed back data
 Widening of the genetic base from few hundred farm-bred cattle to 7
lac breedable cows of farmers through e-linking for planning long-term
research programs for sustainable dairying
 Data Warehousing to support data analysis and decision-
making tasks through use of ICT.
 Production of tested high performance breeding bulls
through:
Open Nucleus Breeding Scheme t
E T T for fast multiplication of elite cows
 GWAS for Evaluation of breeding value

45. Recommendations
• Strengthening of the capacity (infrastructure and human resource) in J &
K to get ready for the technology driven bio-revolution
• Special program for Networking of the institutes in the three states on
N-E pattern for:
– Knowledge and Resource sharing
• Faculty exchange & Student exchange
– Documentation and characterization of our bioresources
• Common e-resource of our biodiversity – validated and authentic
– Bioprospecting of our resources for
• commercially valuable genetic and biochemical resources.
• Genes for biotic and abiotic stress tolerence

46. Recommendation………
• Collaborative inter-institutional research
programs
– MAS for accelerated improvement in field /
horticulture crops / animals / fish
– MA S approach for breeding resistance in plants and
animals
– Mitigating Climate change and ensuring healthy foods:
• Development of biocontrol agents for management of
diseases and pests
• Development of the biofertilisers for organic agriculture