GM Mustard: A Win for Science and the Farmer

Why in news?

• The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change recently approved for environmental release of genetically modified (GM) mustard hybrid (DMH 11), paving the way for commercial use of the first GM food crop based on the recommendations of Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC).

About GEAC

• GEAC, under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change is a body responsible for appraisal of proposals relating to the “release” of GM organisms and products (ordinarily considered hazardous) into the environment.

Developing GM Mustard Hybrid DMH 11

• About hybridisation: It involves crossing two genetically dissimilar plant varieties that can even be from the same species. The first-generation (F1) offspring from such crosses tend to have higher yields than what either parent can individually give.
• Challenge: Such hybridisation isn’t easy in mustard, as its flowers have both female (pistil) and male (stamen) reproductive organs, making the plants largely self-pollinating.
• New variety: But by genetic modification (GM), scientists at Delhi University’s Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP) developed the hybrid mustard DMH-11 containing two alien genes (namely ‘barnase’ and barstar’ genes) isolated from a soil bacterium called Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.
• Significance: Mustard varieties in India have a narrow genetic base. The barnase-barstar system enables breeding of hybrids from a wider range of mustards, including those of East European origin such as ‘Heera’ and ‘Donskaja’.
  • DMH-11 is also claimed to have shown an average 28% yield increase over Varuna in contained field trials carried out by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
  • New hybrid GM seeds could potentially raise mustard yields to 3.0-3.5 tonnes per hectare, up from around 1.3 tonnes now.

Opposition to grant GEAC clearance to DMH-11

• Promote widespread herbicide usuage: The presence of a ‘bar’ gene, makes GM mustard plants 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.
• Threaten biodiversity: The second concern is 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.
  • But based on the examination of scientific evidences available globally, it seems unlikely that DMH-11will pose an adverse impact on honey bees.

Unfounded fears of GM crops

• Earlier concerns: The reservations expressed and objections related to GM crops are not new.
  • These were also expressed when India imported the dwarf miracle seeds of wheat and rice in 1966 to achieve food self-sufficiency through the Green Revolution and also when Bt Cotton was being released in 2002.
• Positive experience: Bt cotton’s success in boosting yields and turning India from an importer to the world’s second largest exporter is well-documented.
  • Also, no adverse outcomes have been reported from the consumption of its oil and seed cake fed to cattle over the last 20 years.

Need for GM technology

• Meeting current challenges: The best option is scientific innovations and their scaling to meet up today’s issues as follows:
  • Over-exploitation of natural resources (soil, water, biodiversity)
  • Declining factor productivity
  • Urgency to achieve sustainable development goals, especially ending poverty and hunger
  • Addressing timely the adverse effects of climate change
• Global adoption: The genetically modified maize, soybean, cotton, tomato and canola are grown across the world and the area currently under GM crops is about 200 m ha.
  • Besides India, these have been grown for many years in the US, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Australia, Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and China.
  • For instance, yields of canola in Canada, China and Australia are almost three times higher than in India since they use GM hybrid technology.
• Swelling demand: Australia has recently released herbicide-tolerant GM Indian mustard, using similar technology. This is to meet the growing demand of mustard oil in South Asian countries.
• No health risks: It is scientifically proven that the consumption of refined oil does not allow any protein to enter the human system. Thus, the consumption of GM oil is completely safe from a health point of view.
• Minimizing costs: To meet the existing deficit in edible oils (about 55-60 per cent), India is currently importing 14-14.5 mt that entailed a record foreign exchange outgo of $18.99 billion in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022.
  • Of this, 2.0-2.5 mt soybean oil and 1.0-1.5 mt canola oil is already GM. Hence, we are consuming GM oil already, besides, the 1.5 mt of GM cotton oil produced domestically.
• Boosting yields: A major concern of Indian farmers is that yields of mustard (an important oilseed crop,) are low and have stagnated for a long time at around 1,260 kg/ha, much lower than the global average of 2,000 kg/ha.
  • Mustard is grown in 6.0 -7.0 million hectares, mostly in Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh.
  • Thus, the government’s decision to allow the production of GM Mustard hybrids will go a long way in increasing our yields, while reducing the use of pesticides.

Way forward

• Government push: The Department of Agriculture (DoA) and ICAR need to move forward fast and provide an enabling environment to test the available seed of Hybrid DMH 11 in the current rabi season. This needs to happen on several farmers’ fields in the mustard belt.
  • The government must also encourage public-private partnerships to produce quality seeds to cover more area next year.
• Boost scientific community: Also, scientists at ICAR institutes must be encouraged to develop new GM Mustard hybrids on a mission mode.
• New avenues: Allowing the production of GM Soybean and GM Maize going forward will also be a positive step, increasing both the productivity and profitability of these crops and doubling farmers’ income.

Conclusion

• A country importing over 60 per cent of its edible oil requirements cannot afford the luxury of indefinitely blocking the technology for its farmers.
• The decision to remove the unscientific ban on GM crops reflects the determination of the government to move towards Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• It also meets the long-awaited aspirations of our scientific community and the farmers to derive the benefits of innovative technologies.