Transgenic Indica rice to the benefit of Less Developed Countries: Towards pest-resistance, and accumulation of B-carotene In the endosperm

Indica-type rice provides the staple food for 2 billion people in Third World Countries. Wehave established gene transfer to IRRl breeding lines to explore the contributions of geneticengineering to sustained and stable production of high quality food. Experiments are in progresson the development of resistance towards Yellow Stem Borer, towards Rice Tungro Virus, towardsjfungal pests, and towards accumulation of provitamin A in the endosperm. So far we have[recovered the first transgenic Indica rice with elevated resistance to sheath blight [Rhizoctoniasolani) and with 100% resistance against yellow stem borer [Scirpophaga incertidas). We havealso harvested seed from a series of transgenic rice plants harbouring a number of differenttransgenic DNA sequences representing different anti tungro virus disease strategies. And wehave, so far, been able to initiated the p-carotene pathway in the endosperm to the accumulationof ph5dogene, hoping, that it will be possible to subsequently complete the pathway towardsprovitamin A.