GEAC has approved the ‘environmental release’ of indigenously developed genetically modified (GM) mustard seeds. AFP (Representational Image)
The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) recommended the “environmental release” of indigenously developed genetically modified (GM) mustard seeds on 18 October.
GEAC- India’s regulator for genetically modified organisms under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change- approved the “environmental release of mustard hybrid DMH-11 for its seed production and testing as per existing ICAR guidelines and other extant rules/regulations before commercial release”.
With this, the regulatory body has cleared the way for commercialisation of the country’s first GM food crop, reports Business Standard.
However, this decision has caused much furore among anti-GM activists as well as agriculture outfits like Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM).
What is hybrid mustard? What does GEAC’s ‘environmental release’ mean for GM mustard seeds? Why is there fierce opposition to the move by some activists? We explain.
What is hybrid mustard?
A hybrid crop is produced by the cross-breeding of two genetically different varieties that can be even from the same species. The first-generation (F1) offspring produced with this technique usually have higher yields than existing varieties.
This hybridisation is difficult in mustard as its flowers have both female (pistil) and male (stamen) reproductive organs, which makes the plant self-pollinating, according to Indian Express.
Thus developing hybrids for mustard has its limits.
GM mustard was developed by scientists at Delhi University’s Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP). PTI (Representational Image)
But it was achieved by scientists at Delhi University’s Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP), led by Deepak Pental, through genetic modification.
They developed the DMH (Dhara Mustard Hybrid)-11 comprising two alien genes derived from a soil bacterium called Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.
The CGMCP scientists crossed a popular Indian mustard variety ‘Varuna’ (the barnase line) with an East European ‘Early Heera-2’ mutant (barstar) to develop DMH-11, as per Indian Express.
According to the trials conducted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), DMH-11 is claimed to have an average 28 per cent yield increase over Varun, Indian Express reported.
GEAC’s nod to hybrid mustard
GEAC has approved the supervised environmental release of GM mustard and to conduct field demonstration studies on its effects, if any, on honey bees and other pollinators.
“Further, to generate scientific evidence in Indian agro-climatic situation and also as a precautionary mechanism, the field demonstration studies with respect to the effect of GE mustard on honey bees and other pollinators, as recommended in the 136th GEAC meeting, shall also be conducted post-environmental release, simultaneously by the applicant, within two years under the supervision of ICAR,” the regulator’s minutes of the meeting held on 18 October said, as per PTI.
India has only approved one GM crop, Bt cotton, for commercial cultivation so far.
Welcoming the move, Pental, a geneticist and former vice-chancellor of Delhi University, told The Telegraph, “The GM mustard represents a step towards the goal of developing robust, high-yielding hybrids while at the same time trying to reduce the environmental footprint of agriculture.”
Those supporting commercial cultivation of GM crops say it will lead to ‘greater food security due to increased yields’. PTI (Representational Image)
Pointing out the benefits of the commercial cultivation of GM crops, the supporters say it will lead to “greater food security due to increased yields, reduced costs for food production, reduced need for pesticides and resistance to pests and disease”, reports PTI.
But not everyone is on board.
Why the opposition?
Certain green groups and Swadeshi Jagran Manch have protested against the GEAC’s approval.
The Coalition for a GM-Free India, a network of anti-GM crop activists and sections of farmers’ groups, has urged Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav to withdraw GEAC’s nod.
“The process of review of GM mustard is not rigorous enough and GEAC doesn’t seem to be really serious about either assessing its safety or efficacy,” the Coalition alleged in a letter to the environment ministry on 20 October, as per The Telegraph.
In 2017, the GEAC had recommended the commercial release of GM mustard, but the environment ministry had rebuffed the decision.
SJM has also shot off a letter to the environment minister accusing the regulatory panel of functioning in an “irresponsible fashion” and dubbing the claims backing GM mustard as “completely untrue, unsubstantiated and wrongly projected”.
“Swadeshi Jagran Manch has all along been opposing this dangerous and unneeded GM mustard being brought in through the backdoor as a public sector (genetically modified organism (GMO),” SJM co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan wrote.
Objecting to GEAC’s recommendation, the co-convenor alleged that the claim that GM mustard was ‘swadeshi’ and had been developed in India is “completely untrue”.
Mahajan also claimed that GM mustard has “no yield advantage compared to indigenous hybrids”.
“The data from (Directorate of) Rapeseed Mustard Research (DRMR), Bharatpur clearly shows that the claim of Professor Deepak Pantel that his GM mustard would increase yield by 26 per cent is deceptive and misleading as there are several existing hybrid varieties that outperform the transgenic variety DMH-11,” the Swadeshi Jagran Manch co-convenor claimed.
Some experts have also expressed concerns over the DMH-11 mustard variety being herbicide tolerant, which allows the farmers to kill the surrounding weeds without harming the crop. They fear excess use of the herbicide on GM crops would increase toxic chemicals in food and soil.
With inputs from agencies
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