GM mustard – Dhara mustard Hybrid

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), India’s apex regulator for genetically modified seeds, cleared GM mustard for environmental release and use in farmer fields. Here is all you want to know about GM mustard

What is GM mustard or Dhara Mustard Hybrid – 11?

• DMH 11 is genetically modified mustard which has been developed by a team of scientists at Delhi University  under a government-funded project.
• It is developed by renowned geneticist Deepak Pental (former vice-chancellor of Delhi University) and his team, with support from the National Dairy Development Board and the department of biotechnology
• It uses a system of genes from soil bacterium that makes mustard — generally a self pollinating plant — better suited to hybridisation than current methods.

How GM mustard was created?

• Mustard is a self-pollinated crop and its flower contains both male and female parts. Hence, it is difficult to pollinate from the male part of another parental line until one creates a female only by inducing male sterility in a parental line.
• Pental and his team created a technology where male parts of flowers of one of the parental line is made sterile enabling pollination from another parental line. This helps achieve the vigour of hybridisation and improving yield.
• It contains three genes sourced from soil bacterium. Bar gene, Barnase and barstar.
• The bar gene, made the plant resistant to a herbicide (or weed killer) brand-named Basta, a product sold by multinational company Bayer Cropscience. Bar gene, was necessary because when seeds varieties are crossed to make hybrids, only a fixed proportion of the next generation of seeds carry all the desirable genes. Spraying these seeds with the herbicide Basta would ensure only the right kind of seed remained.

Significance

Mustard is one of India’s most important winter crops and sown between mid-October and late November. It is amongst the three largest oilseed crops of India with soyabean and groundnut being other two, but the yields have remained stagnant for many years.

Earlier experiences with GM crops in India

• Though GEAC has earlier cleared  a transgenic food crop Bt Brinjal  for release it was not released due to objections from Environment minister.
• Presently only Bt cotton is allowed for commercial cultivation in India

The cons – Why GM mustard/DMH – 11 should not be introduced?

1. Previous experience : Though India had introduced BT cotton owing to the alluring promises of higher yield and lower pesticide usage most of the countries that have higher cotton yields than India do not grow GM cotton.
2. The highest yields in mustard are from the five countries which do not grow GM mustard (based on FAO data).
3. GM mustard’s yield increase claims have been successfully challenged now, prompting the crop developers and regulators to retract on that front
4. The risks to health, environment and agriculture that the Gm mustard poses  have not been evaluated
5. HT (herbicide tolerant) GM crops have been condemned by a number of medical professionals and other scientists for increasing chemical herbicide use, leading to serious health conditions
6. Studies have shown a strong correlation between growth of GM crops, the herbicides they promote, and diseases such as acute kidney injury, diabetes, autism, Alzheimer’s and cancers
7. A herbicide-tolerant crop promotes constant exposure to a single herbicide — which eventually results in weeds becoming resistant.

The pros – Why India should allow cultivation of GM mustard/Dhara Mustard hybrid?

• Dhara Mustard Hybrid will help Indian farmers increase mustard productivity which has been stagnant for several year.
• The technology, once approved, will help bring better hybrids using the same platform to improve the mustard crop yield significantly.
• GEAC has made the recommendation based on scientific evaluations and this is backed by data and evidence
• GM mustard will help the country address its shortage of edible oil

Currently, more than 60 per cent of the domestic demand of edible oil is met by imports

• India is already importing nearly 4 million tonnes of GM oils and consuming GM canola oil and GM soya oil for over a decade.
• This technology is developed by a renowned Indian scientist in an Indian institution with the full support of public funds from NDDB and the Government.
• The technology was tested well for its environmental safety by GEAC before it was recommended for release.
• GM crops have been grown for over 20 years globally without a single adverse case of safety. In India, after the approval of Bt cotton in 2002, no other biotech crops have been approved despite the huge success of Bt cotton.

What lies ahead for GM mustard’s release

• The approval is contingent on a final nod from Environment Minister.
• If Minister’s consent be obtained, GM mustard would be the first transgenic food crop to be allowed for commercial cultivation in India.
• Agriculture is a State subject in India, which means that even if a central regulator were to deem a plant as ‘safe’, it would need to be cleared by State authorities.

UPSC Syllabus and relevance of news

Prelims : General Science

General issues on Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialisation

Mains : GS 3 Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Prelims Perspective

Previous year questions [UPSC Prelims 2015]

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee is constituted under the

(a) Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

(b) Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999

(c) Environment (Protection) Act, 1986

(d) Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972

Mains Perspective

Model questions

1. What are the issues associated with cultivation of GM crops in India? What are the solution to these issues.
2. Commercial approval for GM mustard will not only boost the morale of our scientists, but will also provide a new path for the growth of India’s largest sector — agriculture. Evaluate

Sources: The Hindu The Hindu The Hindu The Hindu The Hindu The Hindu   The Hindu BusinessLine The Hindu