GM CROPS – AGRICULTURE – S & T

GM CROPS – AGRICULTURE – S & T

News: Field trials of GM mustard DMH-11 showed high yield, says Science Minister

What's in the news?

●       Field trials of the transgenic mustard variety, DMH-11, revealed them to be higher yielding and they didn’t deter the pollination habits of honey bees, Union science minister Jitendra Singh said in Rajya Sabha in a written response to a query.

Key takeaways:

●       Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11 (DMH-11) had recently been approved by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) for cultivation in farmer fields, as a precursor to commercial cultivation.

○       The GEAC is an autonomous body of experts authorized by the Union environment ministry to appraise the safety of genetically modified seeds.

●       The only other transgenic seed permitted to be commercially cultivated in India is Bt cotton.

Significance of GM Mustard:

1. Reducing the Import dependency in edible oil:

●       India imports Rs.60,000 crore worth of edible oils every year.

●       There is an urgent need to reduce dependence on imports and raise domestic crop yields of mustard, which in turn raises production of edible oils domestically.

2. GM makes hybridization possible:

●       Mustard cannot be naturally hybridized because it is a self-pollinating plant having both male and female reproductive parts in a single flower. But researchers have created hybridized mustard using GM technology.

3. High Yield:

●       DMH-11 is claimed to have shown an average 28% yield increase over Varuna.

4. Herbicide tolerance:

●       The presence of a third ‘bar’ gene, which makes GM mustard plants tolerant to the spraying of glufosinate ammonium, a chemical used for killing weeds.

5. Safer for Humans and Environment:

●       Extensive studies carried out on toxicity, allergenicity, compositional analysis, field trials and environmental safety studies of GM mustard lines vs. their non-transgenic comparators have provided evidence that they are safe for cultivation and for food and feed use.

6. Doesn't Affect Pollination:

●       Studies conducted during 2018-19 and 2019-20 indicated that there is no negative impact of Bt transgenic cotton cultivars on bees, brood rearing, pollen and nectar hoarding of Apis mellifera colonies as compared to non -transgenic cotton cultivars.

GM crops in India:

1. Bt cotton:

●       Bt cotton, the only GM crop that is allowed in India, has two alien genes from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that allows the crop to develop a protein toxic to the common pest pink bollworm.

●       On the other hand, Bt cotton is derived with the insertion of an additional gene, from another soil bacterium, which allows the plant to resist the common herbicide glyphosate.

Global variants:

●       Across the world, GM variants of maize, canola and soybean, too, are available.

Advantages of GM crops:

1. Production:

●       It improves production and raises the farmer’s income.

●       Reduced maturation time.

2. Reduces Pesticide:

●       It reduces the use of pesticide and insecticide during farming that might be great moves for the betterment of the food supply.

3. Food security:

●       It can feed a rapidly increasing population because it shows dramatically increased yields.

4. Efficiency:

●       It can produce more in small areas of land.

5. More nutritious and tastier:

●       May be possible to produce medicines or even vaccines.

Issues associated with GM crops:

1. Genetic contamination:

●       Since a GMO is artificially created, its breeding with the other crops in the natural ecosystem can result in genetic contamination.

2. Affecting species diversity:

●       Bt crops can harm non-target insects thereby affecting species diversity.

●       In the case of Bt. Corn, Monarch butterflies feeding on wild milkweed that grows near cornfields may be harmed.

3. Super weeds:

●       GM technology could also allow the transfer of genes from one crop to another, creating “super weeds”, which might be immune to common control methods.

4. Commercialization:

●       Corporate control over farming is facilitated by GM technology (with accompanying Intellectual Property Rights), giving them control over the food supply.

●       From an economic standpoint, this poses a risk to long-term food security by creating dependence on a single or limited number of suppliers.

5. Increased use of chemicals:

●       Though GM Cotton was supposed to be more resistant to pests, chemical usage (including pesticides) in India’s cotton cultivation has actually increased.

6. Inadequate Safety Assessments:

●       The current safety assessments are inadequate to catch most of the harmful effects from the GM crops.

●       Moreover, the regulatory regime in India about GM crops has never been assessed thoroughly about the GM risk assessment in Indian conditions.

WAY FORWARD:

●       The challenges linked to GM crops need to be addressed by governments, especially in the areas of safety testing, regulation, industrial policy and food labelling.

●       Academia should come forward and help in guiding public perception and building confidence in the appropriate processes and products of GM technology.

●       Any decision on introduction of GM technologies must be taken on the basis of scientific evidence.

●       A participatory approach should be adopted in order to bring together all stakeholders to develop regulatory protocols. This would ensure trust in the entire process.

●       GM crops can play a major role in ensuring food security for the coming generation.

●       There is a need to strengthen, conserve and preserve traditional seeds that would ensure food security.