The Knight of Sugar Industry: T. S. Venkatraman (1884–1963)
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HISTORICAL NOTES The knight of sugar industry: T. S. Venkatraman (1884–1963) Ramesh Maheshwari and Anantanarayanan Raman Tiruvadi Sambasiva Venkatraman (TSV) was a plant breeder. In response to a call from Pundit Madan Mohan Malaviya, he made it his mission to develop high-yielding varieties of sugarcane for manufacturing sugar and making it available as a sweetening agent and an energy source for the malnourished children of India. Using Saccharum officinarum, then under cultivation in India, as the female parent, he artificially fertilized it with pollen from S. barberi, which grew wild in Coimbatore. After 4–5 recurrent backcrossings of S. officinarum wild Sorghum spontaneum with S. officinarum as the female parent, TSV selected the ‘rare’ interspecies hybrid cane varieties that resembled sugarcane and had approximately 2.5 cm thick juicy stems containing 16–18% sucrose – nearly 35 times more than what occurred in parent stocks. The hybrid canes matured quickly, were resistant to waterlogging, drought, and to the red-rot disease caused by Glomerella tucumanensis (Sordariomycetes: Glomerellaceae), and to the sereh-virus disease. Most impor- tantly, they were amenable for propagation using stem cuttings. In recognition of the development of high- yielding sugarcane varieties, TSV was conferred the titles Rao Bahadur, Rao Sahib, and Sir by the British Government, and Padma Bhushan by the Republic of India. In the next few decades, consequent to TSV’s work, India turned into the second largest sugar producer in the world, after Brazil. The hybrid sugarcane varieties developed are the foundational stocks for new sugarcane bamboo hybrids, and for possible resis- tance to Puccinia megalocephala (Pucciniomycetes: Pucciniaceae) and Ustilago scitaminea (Ustilaginomy- cetes: Ustilaginaceae) using molecular techniques. The opening paragraph of an article in A nation can claim to be independent attempted to combine the preferred char- the Journal of Heredity1, excerpted from only when it has ensured food security acters of wheat (Triticum, 2n = 6x = 42) Nature runs as follows: by producing crops that are major with rye (Secale, 2n = 2x = 14), and sources of sugars, proteins and lipids. achieved an infertile Triticale2. Similar ‘Hybridization in and with the genus Sugar is necessary both as a sweetener attempts to create Raphanobrassica by Saccharum formed the topic of Rao and as a source of metabolic energy. In hybridizing radish (Raphanus sativus) Bahadur T. S. Venkataraman’s presi- 1912–1942, the development of high- with cabbage (Brassica oleracea) (both dential address to the Sections of yielding cane varieties in India was a of Brassicaceae) failed. Undeterred by Agriculture. Hybridization in the breakthrough, which matches with the these vain trials, TSV attempted inter- sugar-cane at the Imperial Sugar-cane development of high-yielding varieties of generic and interspecific hybridizations Station at Coimbatore was the first wheat in Mexico by the Nobel laureate and succeeded in crossing Saccharum of- attempt to improve the subtropical Norman Borlaug (1914–2009). The goal ficinarum S. spontaneum and obtaining types of canes. This genetic work, of a breeder is to combine the useful fea- hybrids bearing ‘difficult-to-achieve’ which has been going on at the sta- tures of two parental species into one traits and with greater levels of sugar, tion for more than twenty-five years genome. Historically, plant breeders and were amenable to propagation with has involved six species of Saccha- stem-cutting. His work showed the rum and four genera.’ potential of improving sugar yield fur- ther by wide crosses, contrary to the gen- The ‘Imperial Sugar-cane Station’ re- eral perception of failure of wide crosses. ferred here was the Sugarcane Breeding The present note aims to reconstruct Station then, now the Sugarcane Breed- details of TSV’s work, based in part on ing Institute, which celebrated its centen- the available biography by Thuljaram ary in 2012. We, the authors of the Rao3. Rao was TSV’s only M Sc student, present note, have endeavoured to bring who in 1961–1970 and 1976–1979 offi- to light the work in which T. S. ciated as the Director of the Sugarcane Venkatraman (TSV; Figure 1) was en- Breeding Institute, Coimbatore. gaged in for more than three decades in Whereas substitute crops are available response to the clarion call of the educa- for carbohydrate (e.g. rice) and protein tionist and freedom fighter Pundit Madan (e.g. wheat and pulses) and lipid (e.g. Mohan Malaviya: mustard and groundnut) requirements of ‘Undertake research to increase pro- humans, as much as we know, sugarcane is the only plant which is a source of a duction of sugar, making it available, especially for the malnourished chil- sweetener and energy in tropical coun- dren.’ Figure 1. T. S. Venkatraman. tries. Photosynthetically, sugarcane is the 1146 CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 106, NO. 8, 25 APRIL 2014 HISTORICAL NOTES most efficient plant in terms of the quan- crosses between sugarcane and bamboo. Several varieties which did not flower in tity of extractable sugar. Today, nearly This effort impresses us as a work of the northern states because of large 80% of sugar (sucrose: C12H22O11) con- courage and novelty, when viewed variations in temperature, and/or diurnal sumed in the world is from sugarcane, against the background that until that variations in the photoperiod, flowered in whereas the remainder is from sugar beet time attempts at intergeneric hybridiza- Coimbatore. (Beta vulgaris, Chenopodiaceae) in tem- tion had failed. TSV succeeded in raising perate countries. a few hybrid seedlings (S. officinarum S. spontaneum) under field conditions, Coimbatore as the world capital of sugarcane research In the footsteps of Mendel some of which appeared weak, although in due course they flowered and pro- duced seeds in Coimbatore. This finding The climate and geographical location of Similar to Mendel (1882–1884), who Coimbatore (11N; 77E) enabled sev- grew garden pea (Pisum sativum) as the indicated that species delimitation in the genus group Saccharum may not be as eral varieties of sugarcane to flower and study material in his monastery, TSV set seeds. TSV succeeded in generating planted Solanum melongena (Solanaceae, rigid as in other plants. The development of hybrid cane varieties has indeed paved interspecific hybrids by crossing selected brinjal, eggplant, aubergine) in a block of parents (Figure 3) and developed high- land behind his house and was engaged the way for future biotechnological pos- sibility of creating tall varieties by cross- yielding varieties (e.g. Co 205, Co 255, in hybridization trials. Like Mendel, TSV Co 299, Co 312, Co 313, Co 513, Co either did not publish his findings or ing Saccharum officinarum and Bambusa sp. (ref. 3). 527), as a result of which India changed published them in a local journal. from the status of holding a ‘begging According to Thuljaram Rao, TSV was bowl’ for sugar to that of being a sugar inspired by Jonathan Swift’s words in Research and evaluation exporter. It is to the credit of TSV, who Gulliver’s Travels: had known that pollen viability, stigma To meet the sugar demand in colonial receptivity and the time of the day for ‘Whoever could make two ears of India and in Britain, the British estab- cross-pollination were critical for fertili- corn, or two blades of grass, to grow lished the Sugarcane Breeding Station at zation and fertile seed formation. These upon a spot of ground where only one Coimbatore in 1912 with Barber, as its varieties are, used even now as stocks for grew before, would deserve better of first superintendent, who recruited TSV breeding in Australia, Bangladesh, Indo- mankind, and do more essential ser- as his deputy. TSV must have noted that nesia and Pakistan. Today, sugarcane is vice to his country, than the whole in the warm climate some close relatives even more valuable. It is a fuel crop, race of politicians put together.’ of sugarcane would flower, enabling the being the source of fibrous cellulosic production of hybrid canes by crossing, a and hemicellulosic biomass for its con- Professional development physical process by which the pollen version into commercial alcohol via (male reproductive cell) is transferred to the conversion of its glucose contents After a postgraduate degree, possibly the receptive surface of the female re- using fungus-derived cellulase and sub- through a thesis from the University of productive organ. TSV collected all sequent anaerobic conversion into alco- Madras, TSV obtained his D Sc from plants with cane phenotype that suited hol by yeast fermentation as a transport Andhra University, Waltair. While being the prevailing hot (summer, April–June) fuel. in the Indian Agricultural Service, he and cold (winter, November–January) worked as a Government Sugarcane Ex- conditions in the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Nobilization pert in the Sugarcane Breeding Station, Coimbatore. This station was established Sugarcane is grown in more than 90 by the British Government with the countries. It is an ideal example of crop objective of collecting indigenous and improvement by multiple hybridization exotic varieties of canes for generating (backcrossing) with a ‘noble’ cane, Sac- hybrids (Figure 2). Charles A. Barber (a charum officinarum, which became South African botanist – plant breeder) popular in India. The variety Co 281 was the first superintendent of the became popular in Louisiana (USA), station. He was succeeded by TSV. whereas varieties Co 281 and Co 290 be- Venkatraman desired that India becomes came popular in South Africa. Co 281 self-sufficient in sugar production. He became popular in Cuba. TSV’s work must have noticed that some cane varie- impacted on sugarcane production in ties that did not flower in the Indo- almost all tropical sugar-producing coun- Gangetic Plain, did so in Coimbatore. tries. According to Thuljaram Rao3, Co This should have prompted him to think 419 was hailed as ‘the wonder variety for of the differential responses of plants to the tropics and served for four decades in climate in the context of flowering, pol- states below the Vindhyas’.