The Hindu Editorial Analysis- 19th July 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Why in News?

A determined battle by environmentalists in the Supreme Court of India against Delhi University’s genetically modified (GM) herbicide-tolerant (HT) mustard is all that stands between GM food and Indian farmers and consumers. 

What is GM Mustard?

• DMH-11 is an indigenously developed transgenic mustard. It is a genetically modified variant of Herbicide Tolerant (HT) mustard.
• DMH-11 is a result of a cross between Indian mustard variety ‘Varuna’ and East European ‘Early Heera-2’ mustard.
• It contains two alien genes (‘barnase’ and ‘barstar’) isolated from a soil bacterium called Bacillus amyloliquefaciens that enable breeding of high-yielding commercial mustard hybrids.
• Barnase in Varuna induces a temporary sterility because of which it can’t naturally self-pollinate. Barstar in Heera blocks the effect of barnase allowing seeds to be produced.
• DMH-11 has shown approximately 28% more yield than the national check and 37 % more than the zonal checks and its use has been claimed and approved by the GEAC.
  • “Bar gene” maintains the genetic purity of hybrid seed.

Why is the Barnase/Barstar System Required?

• The hybrid seed production requires an efficient male sterility and fertility restoration system.
• The currently available conventional cytoplasmic-genetic male sterility system in mustard has limitations of breakdown of sterility under certain environmental conditions leading to lowering of seed purity.
• The genetically engineered barnase/barstar system provides an efficient and robust alternative method for hybrid seed production in mustard.
• In India, the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP) has made a successful attempt with some alterations in the barnase/ barstar system which culminated in the development of GM mustard hybrid MH11 which has undergone the required regulatory testing processes during 2008-2016.

Why GM Mustard is Necessary?

• India’s import of edible oils is on continuous rise to meet the domestic demand. It ultimately led reduction forex. GM Mustard is essential to reduce the forex drain on Agri-import.
• Productivity of oilseed crops viz., soybean, rapeseed mustard, groundnut, sesame, sunflower, safflower and linseed in India is much lower than the global productivity of these crops.
• Crossing of genetically diverse parents results in hybrids with increased yield and adaptation.

What are the Safety Concerns associated with DMH-11?

• The safety of three genes used in the creation of the technique Barnase, Barstar and Bar is being questioned.
• Field trials for three years (two years of BRL-I and one year of BRL-II) have been conducted to assess the impact on human health and environment as per the stipulated guidelines and applicable rules.
• It is important to note that comprehensive research on the toxicity, allergenicity, compositional analysis, field trials, and environmental safety studies of GM mustard has shown that they are safe for food and feed usage as well as for production.
• DMH-11 has “Bar gene” which is responsible for herbicide tolerance. Effectiveness of “Bar Gene” is under question as per herbicide tolerance is concerned.

What is the Significance of Genetically Modified Crops?

• Crossing of genetically diverse plants results in hybrids with increased yield and adaptation, a phenomenon known as hybrid vigor heterosis which has been widely exploited in crops like rice, maize, pearl millet, sunflower and many vegetables.
• It has been convincingly demonstrated that hybrids in general show 20-25% higher yield over the conventional varieties across the crops.
• Hybrid technology can play an important role in enhancing the productivity of rapeseed mustard in the country.