Question- In which of the following states the world’s first genetically modified (GM) rubber plant has planted?
(a) West Bengal
(b) Nagaland
(c) Assam
(d) Mizoram
Ans. (c)
Related Facts-
- On June 22, 2021, the world’s first genetically modified (GM) rubber plant was planted on the outskirts of Guwahati, Assam .
- Developed at the Kerala-based Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII), the sapling was planted at the board’s farm in Sarutari near Guwahati.
- The GM rubber plant, the first of its kind developed exclusively for the northeast, is expected to thrive in the climatic conditions of the region.
- The plant, which has additional copies of gene MnSOD (manganese containing superoxide dismutase) in it, is expected to revolutionise natural rubber production in India.
- The plant is expected to tide over severe cold conditions during winters, a major factor affecting the growth of young plants as natural rubber is a native of warm humid Amazon forests and is not naturally suited for cold conditions in the northeast.
By- Yogesh Pratap Singh