NBRI research scholar gets ISCA young scientist award

LUCKNOW: Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) young scientist award 2009-10 has been presented to Siddharth Tiwari, a research scholar at National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) for his research `expression of d-endotoxin cry1EC from inducible promoter imparts insect protection in peanut plants' under the section `plant sciences'.
India is the second highest producer of peanuts but the average yield at around 1,000 kg/ha is lower than other major peanut growing countries.The most serious insect damage to peanut crop is caused by leaf eating insect Spodoptera litura (tobacco armyworm). The pest has developed resistance to insecticides. However, the Bt cry1EC gene produces safer and insect protected genetically modified peanut plants.