The Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII) under the rubber board, planted the world’s first genetically modified rubber plant at its Sarutari research farm on the city outskirts of Sonapur. The genetically modified rubber plant, tailor-made for the weather conditions in the North East, is the RRII’s biotechnology laboratory.
Chairman and Executive Director of the Rubber Board, K.N. Raghavan planted the saplings at the Rubber Board’s Sarutari research farm. Raghavan said that the GM rubber plant, the first of its kind developed exclusively for this region, is expected to grow well under the climatic conditions of the mountainous northeast region.
“The GM rubber plant is expected to tide over the severe cold conditions during winter, which is a major factor affecting the growth of young rubber plants. Natural rubber is a native of warm humid Amazon forests and it is not naturally suited for the cold conditions in this part of the country,” he said.
