Madurai (PTI): The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) is developing a Genetically Modified Papaya that would resist "ring spot virus" responsible for destroying Papaya cultivation in thousands of acres in the country.

"Tissue culturing work had been completed and the gene had been identified. We have to cross some steps before fully developing the GM papaya", TNAU Vice Chancellor Dr.C.Ramasamy said.

"We have to develop our own variety as the virus, casued by white fly is peculiar to India", he said while talking to media here on the sidelines of Second International Symposium on Papaya here on Tuesday.

He said The Department of Biotechnology had allocated funds for the project and it would take another three years for coming out with GM Papaya.

He said Papaya had attained a status of industrial crop across the world in view of its commercial uses. The area of Papaya cultivation had increased by three fold in the last ten years and India emerged as the fourth largest papaya producer. Another area where papaya had to be given focus was the genetic purity of seeds. Though Germ plasm conservation and development of new varieties were vital activities of papaya improvement, genetic purity of the seeds should not be compromised in the interest of above objectives, he said.