Bioseed Research Pvt Ltd has partnered with US-based firm Arcadia Biosciences Inc to enhance the shelf life of tomatoes in India and Asia.

Bioseed, a subsidiary of DCM Shriram Consolidated Ltd (DSCL), will incorporate the shelf life-enhancing traits developed by Arcadia into four of its proprietary hybrids.

“We expect to commercialise the new varieties in about four years, first in India and then take it to other Asian countries like the Philippines and Vietnam,” said Mr Vikram. S. Shriram, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, DSCL. However, he did not disclose the financials of the deal, but said it involved an upfront payment and a royalty pay-out linked to sales.

Arcadia uses a non-genetically modified screening and breeding technique called TILLING (Targeting Induced Local Lesions in Genomes). It has identified a number of genetic variations that allow tomatoes to fully ripen on the vine yet remain durable enough to survive the packing and shipping process.

“These traits will be incorporated into our germplasm using the hi-throughput molecular marker platform,” said Dr Paresh Verma, Director, Research, at Bioseed. The shelf life of the new variety would more than double to over two weeks from the present five-seven days, he said.

“This will mean reduced losses during harvest while ensuring that the produce is fully fresh and ripened when it reaches the consumer,” Dr Verma said. In Asia, an estimated 20-35 per cent of tomatoes are on average lost to post-harvest damages.

Tomato is one of the fast growing segments in the vegetable seeds portfolio of Bioseed, which accounts for a fifth of its sales. Bt cotton, rice and corn are the major hybrids in the seeds portfolio of Bioseed, which clocked a sales turnover of Rs 391 crore in the year ended March 2012. “We expect to grow by over 30 per cent in the current year,” Mr Shriram said.

>vishwa@thehindu.co.in

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