assessed against C. suppressalis (Kiani et al. 2009a). Symptoms of stem borer
damage, like dead hearts and white heads, were recorded. The Iranian Bt rice
resistant to lepidopterans, “Tarom Molaii expressing cry1Ab” was developed by
the Agricultural Biotech Research Institute (Iran) and submitted in GM approval
database of International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications
(ISAAA) (www.isaaa.org). Three Iranian lines of Bt rice, Khazar, Neda and Nemat,
expressing cry1Ab gene were developed and showed significant resistance to rice
pests, particularly C. suppressalis. Different physiological properties of Bt rice such
as; plant height, number of tillers, panicle length, the number of panicles per plant,
maturity time, weight of 1000-grain and tone of yield per hectare, were recorded
under field conditions and compared with non-transgenic rice. Prior to field experiments, the quality of rice grain was assessed in the laboratory (Kiani et al. 2009b).
Transgenic rice lines, especially Neda and Nemat lines, showed better physiological
properties compare to non-transgenic ones. Moreover, all three Bt rice lines showed
significant resistance to C. suppressalis.
The stable inheritance and the level of transgene expression in transgenic crops
are of crucial importance. Therefore, the inheritance of cry1Ab in Bt rice lines was
studied under field conditions, moreover, the inheritance of cry1Ab gene in crosses
between transgenic and non-transgenic rice varieties has been evaluated (Kiani et al.
2009b). The stable integration of cry1Ab gene was shown in the three transgenic rice
lines (Tarom Molaii, Neda and Nemat). These transgenic lines showed resistance to
stem borer infestations and also could be employed as a donor source of the
transgene in recombination breeding (Kiani et al. 2009b). Three Bt rice lines,
Neda, Nemat and Khazar, expressing cry1Ab gene were generated by Rice Research
Institute (Amol, Iran). After evaluating the quality of transgenic rice grains in the
laboratory, under the field conditions at Sari University of Agricultural Sciences and
Natural Resources (Sari, Iran), the physiological properties of transgenic rice
expressing synthetic cry1Ab gene and field resistance to insect were recorded and
compared to that of non-transgenic plants (Kiani et al. 2009b). Neda and Nemat
transgenic lines showed better physiological properties based on height and maturity
time, and all three transgenic lines showed a high degree of resistance to
C. suppressalis. The development of a second-generation transgenic plant
pyramided with different genes relating to resistance to insects and rice quality
was carried out as a part of the cultivar development program in Iran (Kiani et al.
2012). Two Iranian Br rice lines (Neda and Nemat) expressing cry1Ab gene were
crossed with an aromatic variety to develop insect-resistant (cry1Ab gene) and
aromatic rice ( fgr gene) in F 2 plants. Gene pyramiding was successfully carried
out and resistant and aromatic rice with favorable agricultural characteristics were
detected (Kiani et al. 2012).
Cotton is one of the most important crops in the northeast of Iran deals with a high
level of yield loss due to insect damage. The major cotton pest that threatens cotton
production in Iran is the cotton bollworm, H. armigera. Developing transgenic
cotton expressing Bt gene is one of the strategies employed to enhance the plant
resistance to insect pests. The cotton var. Coker has been transformed with the
synthetic cry1Ab gene to enhance resistance towards the cotton bollworm (Tohidfar
424
A. Khorramnejad et al.
damage, like dead hearts and white heads, were recorded. The Iranian Bt rice
resistant to lepidopterans, “Tarom Molaii expressing cry1Ab” was developed by
the Agricultural Biotech Research Institute (Iran) and submitted in GM approval
database of International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications
(ISAAA) (www.isaaa.org). Three Iranian lines of Bt rice, Khazar, Neda and Nemat,
expressing cry1Ab gene were developed and showed significant resistance to rice
pests, particularly C. suppressalis. Different physiological properties of Bt rice such
as; plant height, number of tillers, panicle length, the number of panicles per plant,
maturity time, weight of 1000-grain and tone of yield per hectare, were recorded
under field conditions and compared with non-transgenic rice. Prior to field experiments, the quality of rice grain was assessed in the laboratory (Kiani et al. 2009b).
Transgenic rice lines, especially Neda and Nemat lines, showed better physiological
properties compare to non-transgenic ones. Moreover, all three Bt rice lines showed
significant resistance to C. suppressalis.
The stable inheritance and the level of transgene expression in transgenic crops
are of crucial importance. Therefore, the inheritance of cry1Ab in Bt rice lines was
studied under field conditions, moreover, the inheritance of cry1Ab gene in crosses
between transgenic and non-transgenic rice varieties has been evaluated (Kiani et al.
2009b). The stable integration of cry1Ab gene was shown in the three transgenic rice
lines (Tarom Molaii, Neda and Nemat). These transgenic lines showed resistance to
stem borer infestations and also could be employed as a donor source of the
transgene in recombination breeding (Kiani et al. 2009b). Three Bt rice lines,
Neda, Nemat and Khazar, expressing cry1Ab gene were generated by Rice Research
Institute (Amol, Iran). After evaluating the quality of transgenic rice grains in the
laboratory, under the field conditions at Sari University of Agricultural Sciences and
Natural Resources (Sari, Iran), the physiological properties of transgenic rice
expressing synthetic cry1Ab gene and field resistance to insect were recorded and
compared to that of non-transgenic plants (Kiani et al. 2009b). Neda and Nemat
transgenic lines showed better physiological properties based on height and maturity
time, and all three transgenic lines showed a high degree of resistance to
C. suppressalis. The development of a second-generation transgenic plant
pyramided with different genes relating to resistance to insects and rice quality
was carried out as a part of the cultivar development program in Iran (Kiani et al.
2012). Two Iranian Br rice lines (Neda and Nemat) expressing cry1Ab gene were
crossed with an aromatic variety to develop insect-resistant (cry1Ab gene) and
aromatic rice ( fgr gene) in F 2 plants. Gene pyramiding was successfully carried
out and resistant and aromatic rice with favorable agricultural characteristics were
detected (Kiani et al. 2012).
Cotton is one of the most important crops in the northeast of Iran deals with a high
level of yield loss due to insect damage. The major cotton pest that threatens cotton
production in Iran is the cotton bollworm, H. armigera. Developing transgenic
cotton expressing Bt gene is one of the strategies employed to enhance the plant
resistance to insect pests. The cotton var. Coker has been transformed with the
synthetic cry1Ab gene to enhance resistance towards the cotton bollworm (Tohidfar
424
A. Khorramnejad et al.