New Delhi: The recent approval to release genetically modified (GM) mustard for cultivation by Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) has been opposed by some organisations and experts even though some top institutions are calling the approval a 'landmark decision'.
The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) and the Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS) welcomed the decision calling it a "highly progressive step" towards an Atmanirbhar Bharat.
“The GM technology for hybrid seed production developed by the University of Delhi will play an important role in reducing the edible oil import burden and in moving towards self-sufficiency in edible oil production. The decision to release GM mustard will encourage more research and innovations to reduce the environmental footprints of agriculture, develop climate resilient crops, and thereby assure food and nutritional security of the country” said a senior official from NAAS.
Mustard is an important oilseed crop of India, grown in around 6-7 million hectare area during the rabi season mostly in the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, and Madhya Pradesh. Currently, India has a deficit of edible oils by almost 55-60 percent of the total consumption. In the financial year 2020-21, around 13.35 million tonnes of edible oils were imported at a total cost of around Rs 117,000 crores in foreign exchange.
“India desperately requires an increase in the productivity of oilseed crops grown in the country. The average mustard yield in India is 1.0-1.3 tonnes/hectare. This is stagnant for almost two decades. Globally, yields of rapeseed have considerably increased with the introduction of hybrids. More than 90% of the rapeseed crop in Canada, grown in around 8.7 million ha, is under hybrids. Most of the rapeseed grown in China and Europe is also hybrids," the officials said.
He further explained that the first hybrid developed using the GE pollination control mechanism is DMH-11. The trials conducted over three years at eight locations under the supervision of ICAR-DRMR, Bharatpur showed DMH-11 to have, on average, a yield advantage of 28% over the mega variety Varuna and 37% over the zonal checks.
“With the availability of a robust pollination control system in mustard, the way is clear for developing even higher yielding and canola quality hybrids. Thus, hybrid DMH-11 could safely be grown in the farmers’ fields”.
One of the top officials from TAAS emphasised the importance and said that GM mustard has been given environmental clearance and urgent efforts are needed to test DMH-11 hybrid at different locations in mustard belt by ICAR and State Agricultural Universities (SAUs). This can be done in this growing season by ICAR-DRMR and the Department of Agriculture, MOA&FR.
“Using the available seed, around 100 demonstrations could easily be conducted in the current rabi season and efforts are needed to produce more hybrid seed through public-private partnerships so that a larger area could be covered in the next cropping season. Also, the scientists be encouraged to accelerate breeding efforts to produce new high yielding disease and pest resistant hybrids using this new technology cleared by the Government of India," he said.
On October 19, Australia released herbicide-tolerant GM Indian mustard to meet the increasing global demand for edible oil. It is to be noted here that if the recommendation is approved by the government, it will take another three years for farmers to start commercial cultivation of GM Mustard. Clearing their stand on the developments, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) General Secretary Hannan Mollah said he is not against the approval and introduction of GM seeds provided some conditions.
“We believe that science-based solutions are key for agricultural growth, achieving self-sufficiency in production of food, and increasing incomes of farmers. The development of high-yielding seeds of mustard is important for making oilseed cultivation more remunerative for farmers and reducing India’s import dependence for edible oils.
"However, the experience shows that, in recent times, such technological solutions have been used to further corporate interests rather than the interests of farmers and consumers. AIKS is of the view that public sector resources should be used for producing seed varieties with desirable traits which can be reproduced by farmers, and do not increase dependence on private seed companies," he said.
The DMH-11 Mustard is a hybrid seed (and not a seed variety) that will have to be purchased by farmers afresh in every season. Although developed in the public sector, the technology is likely to be handed over to private companies for large-scale production of these hybrid seeds. At the moment, there is no institutional, regulatory framework to ensure that these seeds will be made available to farmers at low cost” said Hannan Mollah.
The development of DMH-11 hybrid seeds involved genetic modifications for facilitating cross-breeding between parental lines, which results in enhancement of yields, and for introducing herbicide tolerance to Glufosinate.
“It is not clear from publicly available material whether high-yielding hybrids without mixing herbicide tolerance have been (or can be) developed by the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants of the Delhi University. Such seeds could give the benefit of yield increases without promoting the use of toxic herbicides. If necessary, further research in this direction should be conducted,” said the farmer leader.
Critics have also raised other questions about ecological and health-related impacts of the introduction of DMH-11. The AIKS leader demanded that the concerns raised needs to be addressed through objective, rigorous and transparent scientific evidence. He further said that government must come clear and address all concerns and not rush into any commercial release of GM mustard.
