In News:

• The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) has yet again cleared the proposal for commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) mustard.
  • GEAC functions in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
  • It is responsible for appraisal of activities involving large scale use of hazardous microorganisms and recombinants in research and industrial production from the environmental angle.
  • It is also responsible for appraisal of proposals relating to release of genetically engineered (GE) organisms and products into the environment including experimental field trials.
• This will be the second GM crop after GM cotton that can be commercially cultivated in the country now.
  • Across the world, GM variants of maize, canola and soyabean, too, are available.

What’s in today’s article:

• GM seeds
• News Summary

GM seeds

• Conventional plant breeding involves crossing species of the same genus to provide the offspring with the desired traits of both parents.
• Genetic engineering aims to transcend the genus barrier by introducing an alien gene in the seeds to get the desired effects.
  • The alien gene could be from a plant, an animal or even a soil bacterium.
  • E.g., Bt cotton has two alien genes from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
    • It allows the crop to develop a protein toxic to the common pest pink bollworm.
  • In Bt brinjal, a gene allows the plant to resist attacks of fruit and shoot borer.
• Seeds produced using genetic engineering are called Genetically Modified Seeds.

Legal position of genetically modified crops in India

• In India, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) is the apex body that allows for commercial release of GM crops.
  • In 2002, the GEAC had allowed the commercial release of Bt cotton.
• Use of the unapproved GM variant can attract a jail term of 5 years and fine of Rs 1 lakh under the Environmental Protection Act

Benefits

• In the case of cotton, farmers cite the high cost of weeding, which goes down considerably if they grow Ht Bt cotton.
• Similarly, Bt brinjal reduces the cost of production by cutting down on the use of pesticides.
• Other benefits include:
  • improves production and raise farmer's income;
  • can feed a rapidly increasing population as it shows increased yields
  • ensures production of more nutritious food
  • Disease- and drought-resistant plants that require fewer environmental resources (such as water and fertilizer)
  • Food with more desirable traits

Concerns

• Imposes high risks to the disruption of ecosystem and biodiversity
  • Better traits produced through engineered genes favours one organisms over others which can eventually disrupt the natural process of gene flow.
• Leads to creation of foods that can cause an allergic or toxic reaction
• Increases the cost of cultivation as farmers have to rely on companies for the seeds
• Inadvertent transfer of genes from one GM plant or animal to another plant or animal might lead to unintended genetic modification harmful to the ecosystem.
• Environmentalists argue that the long-lasting effect of GM crops is yet to be studied and thus they should not be released commercially.

Background:

• Earlier, in 2017, the GEAC had cleared the proposal for commercial cultivation of GM mustard.
• However, the Union Environment Ministry vetoed it and suggested that the panel hold more studies on the GM crop.

News Summary

• GEAC has approved GM mustard for commercial cultivation, paving the way for the country’s first transgenic food crop.
• The GM Mustard is technically called Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11 (DMH-11).
• GEAC’s approval clears the path for commercial seed production of GM mustard and use of the technology to further produce more GM-based mustard hybrid varieties.

GM mustard

• Scientists at Delhi University’s Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP) have developed the hybrid mustard DMH-11.
• It contains two alien genes isolated from a soil bacterium called Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.
  • Indian scientists improvised the barnase/barster male sterility technique to produce the DMH-11.
  • Barnase/barster male sterility technique is 1990s breeding innovation technique pioneered in Belgium.
• Indian scientists arranged the genes in a way that will allow a large number of high yielding varieties of mustard to be developed, which is normally not possible.

Significance of GM Mustard

• Researchers claims that transgenic oilseeds like GM Mustard could help the country become self-sufficient in cooking oils.
  • India produces only 8.5-9 million tonnes (mt) of edible oil annually, while importing 14-14.5 mt that entailed a record foreign exchange outgo of $18.99 billion in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022.
• Indigenously developed, DMH-11 is a testimony to homegrown scientific prowess.
  • Hybridisation in plants like Mustard is not easy as its flowers have both female (pistil) and male (stamen) reproductive organs.
    • This makes the plants largely self-pollinating.
  • The eggs of one plant cannot be fertilised by the pollen grains from another making hybrids next to impossible.

Concerns raised against GM Mustard

• Will lead to displacement of manual labour
  • GM mustard plants are tolerant to the spraying of glufosinate ammonium, a chemical used for killing weeds.
  • This, the opponents allege, will cause displacement of manual labour engaged in weeding by promoting use of chemical herbicides.
• Will undermine the population of honey bees
  • The concerns are raised over GM mustard threatening or undermining the population of honey bees.
  • Mustard flowers are a source of nectar for honey bees and many other pollinator insects.