Extension: R&D in Asia

Chemical Biology Extension: R&D in Asia

The extension dimension of the chemical biology group is focusing on the practical application of our technology in developing countries. There are major opportunities for our technology in these countries, but the lack of local knowledge and technical infrastructure means that the full benefits are not gained. To meet this challenge, we are working towards a model in which both sides can benefit equally from the collaboration.
 
This can be done in various ways:

1. university group research programmes can be synchronized, with each partner carrying out specific tasks (e.g. transformation) supported by intensive student exchanges and joint subsidy applications;
2. companies can outsource specific tasks and gain specific expertise to guide their R&D, which can lead to licensing patents.

Go to Examples of R&D in Asia:

• Wageningen - China
• China
• India 
• North Korea

• Management Studies, Mansholt Graduate School (Prof Onno Omta and Prof Hans Dons); Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan (Prof Zhou Deyi) 
  • Zhen Liu (PhD student since 2008)

This research aims to find and compare the key success factors governing innovation processes and performances of Dutch and Chinese vegetable seed companies. Established and highly successful in the Netherlands, this sector is just emerging in China and has a large potential market. Due to the international nature of the seed business, Dutch and Chinese companies compete in the same markets and need to improve or adapt their innovation. The Chinese vegetable seed industry is composed of thousands of small companies, characterized by low research investments in R&D and a high dependency on public research institutions. By contrast, the Dutch vegetable seed companies operate in a highly competitive environment, invest a large percentage of their turnover in R&D and their dependence on public research is limited to basic research. In the vegetable seed sector, these differing innovation networks in China and the Netherlands are complex and active at different levels. We have distinguished four types of vegetable seed companies in China and two in the Netherlands based on their interaction and collaboration with public research institutions or foreign seed companies. The Wageningen Innovation Assessment Tool will be used to conduct the analysis at the company level. A simulation method will be deployed to experiment with different scenarios and predict trends in the seed markets, with a focus on the expected developments in the shared Chinese seed market. The results will be used to develop decision-support or guideline models for seed company innovation.

• Huazhong Agricultural University Wuhan
  • Prof Caiyun Wang
  • Feng Liu (shared PhD student 2007)
  • Jing Mao (shared PhD student 2006)
• Honghe Senju Pyrethrum company

Pyrethrum and pyrethrin biosynthesis is at the heart of the research of the Chemical Biology group at PRI. Research is focused on cloning the relevant biosynthetic pathway and on transposing the pathway to other crops such as cotton. However, pyrethrum also represents a botanical pesticide that has been in use for over 100 years. Since 2000 a significant industry to extract pyrethrins has developed in China and Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan has engaged in the research of that plant to study various aspects such as regeneration and transformation. PRI has linked up with them and the major pyrethrum company Senju (www.pyrethrum.com.cn) in order to achieve mutual benefits.

• Cotton companies

Bt cotton with resistance to lepidopteran pests is a huge success in India, but the scene is completely dominated by Monsanto. No less than 48 of the 50 cotton companies currently rely on Monsanto technology and only two companies have introduced either their own or Chinese technology. The Indian breeders are interested in reducing the reliance on this monopoly and building a network of academic laboratories to achieve their aims. They are especially interested in new technology to fight the secondary pests that are now threatening the crop such as sucking pests. PRI has entered various collaborative schemes to assist them in this process.

• funded by LNV-BOCI, FAO
• Agricultural Academy Sciences/Plant Breeding WUR
  • Tok-yong Kim (postdoc)
  • Sung Jin Kim (graduate)

Supported by the international branch of the Dutch ministry of Agriculture, a training programme was initiated with the purpose and goal of enabling North Korean scientists to develop their own local late blight resistant potato cultivars and be better capable of analyzing and solving the problems of potato culture. In the long term this is expected to result in improved food security for the North Korean population and improved political relationships with the Netherlands. The programme has received interest from the FAO in North Korea and in 2009 a joint programme is carried out, including training on issues of optimal potato cultivation, storage and processing. Potato is recognized by the North Korean government and foreign aid organizations as being essential for the country’s food security. Potato is one of the most efficient food crops and especially well suited for the mountainous cultivation areas which cover most of the land. Furthermore, it is ideal for double cropping practices in the lower and warmer parts of the country where the cultivation precedes rice and maize. In 2009 15 tonnes of a new late blight resistant cultivar will be sent to North Korea in order to test the benefit such cultivars will have for the food security of the country.