NEW technology to delay ripening of bananas could turn India into a top exporter, reports Puja Awasthi
The banana, often shunned by dieters for its calorific value, has become a major player in global markets. In terms of volume it ranks first, though where value is concerned it is placed second after citrus fruits. According to statistics released by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), world exports of bananas in 2006 totalled 16.8 million tonnes ($ 68.1 million). Now consider this: While India accounts for nearly 22 per cent of the world’s banana output and stands number one, it figures nowhere in the list of top exporters. Ecuador, Costa Rica and the Philippines, says the FAO, produce 6, 2.08 and 7.48 per cent of the world’s fourth most widely cultivated food item respectively. But, even though exports from India are steadily rising, set against Ecuador which supplies 29 per cent of the world’s bananas and Guatemala which contributes 7 per cent, India’s share of 0.01 per cent is negligible. Also, on the list of banana exporters, India’s position is a miserable 41st.
But all that could change in two to three years, following the successful testing of a technology by the Lucknow-based National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) that targets ethylene – a plant hormone-producing gene of the fruit. It is this hormone that causes its ripening, thus prolonging its shelf life. The extended time frame is because regulatory committees have to first grant permission for field testing of the product in at least six locations.
This tropical fruit has to be transported long distances for export (the major importers being EU at 39 per cent and the US at 26 per cent) and is harvested in bunches before it is fully mature. The fruit is transported at 13 degrees Celsius – which permits storage for three to four weeks. After that the bananas are stored at 17 degrees Celsius and treated with low concentrations of ethylene for ripening. The NBRI technology identifies the genes involved in ethylene production and fruit softening, and makes use of fruit-specific promoters to regulate the banana's ripening.
Dr Pravendra Nath, head of the institute’s plant gene expression lab who led the team of 10 which tested the technology, treads cautiously: “There have been no reported publications of this kind of technology, so we can safely assume we are the first to develop it. Normally, a technology needs to be tested for five generations before it can be called successful. But our tests over three generations have given us a high degree of certainty that this behaviour will not break down in future generations.”
The banana, often shunned by dieters for its calorific value, has become a major player in global markets. In terms of volume it ranks first, though where value is concerned it is placed second after citrus fruits. According to statistics released by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), world exports of bananas in 2006 totalled 16.8 million tonnes ($ 68.1 million). Now consider this: While India accounts for nearly 22 per cent of the world’s banana output and stands number one, it figures nowhere in the list of top exporters. Ecuador, Costa Rica and the Philippines, says the FAO, produce 6, 2.08 and 7.48 per cent of the world’s fourth most widely cultivated food item respectively. But, even though exports from India are steadily rising, set against Ecuador which supplies 29 per cent of the world’s bananas and Guatemala which contributes 7 per cent, India’s share of 0.01 per cent is negligible. Also, on the list of banana exporters, India’s position is a miserable 41st.
But all that could change in two to three years, following the successful testing of a technology by the Lucknow-based National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) that targets ethylene – a plant hormone-producing gene of the fruit. It is this hormone that causes its ripening, thus prolonging its shelf life. The extended time frame is because regulatory committees have to first grant permission for field testing of the product in at least six locations.
This tropical fruit has to be transported long distances for export (the major importers being EU at 39 per cent and the US at 26 per cent) and is harvested in bunches before it is fully mature. The fruit is transported at 13 degrees Celsius – which permits storage for three to four weeks. After that the bananas are stored at 17 degrees Celsius and treated with low concentrations of ethylene for ripening. The NBRI technology identifies the genes involved in ethylene production and fruit softening, and makes use of fruit-specific promoters to regulate the banana's ripening.
Dr Pravendra Nath, head of the institute’s plant gene expression lab who led the team of 10 which tested the technology, treads cautiously: “There have been no reported publications of this kind of technology, so we can safely assume we are the first to develop it. Normally, a technology needs to be tested for five generations before it can be called successful. But our tests over three generations have given us a high degree of certainty that this behaviour will not break down in future generations.”
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