Govt advisory committee recommends environment release of GM mustard

The environment’s ministry Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) has recommended the environment release of genetically modified (GM) mustard hybrid DMH-11: the first crop to get such a tag since Bt cotton years ago, according to some scientists.

This paves the way for commercial release of GM mustard and it is now up to gene developers to grant permission for commercial release. States too have the power to deny final commercial approval.

“To generate scientific evidences in Indian agro-climatic situation and also as a precautionary mechanism, the field demonstration studies with respect to the effect of GE (genetically engineered) mustard on honey bees and other pollinators, as recommended in the GEAC meeting, shall also be conducted post environmental release, simultaneously by the applicant, within two years under supervision of ICAR, as per ICAR [Indian Council of Agriculture Research] guidelines and a report be submitted to the GEAC,” the committee said in the minutes of its meeting held on October 18 and uploaded on its website on Wednesday.

Patents on GM mustard are jointly owned by India’s National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and University of Delhi under Prof Deepak Pental.

In between 2002 and now, the GEAC, which was previously known as Genetic Engineering Approval Committee had approved Bt Brinjal but the commercial release was stayed by the then environment minister on the grounds of insufficient scientific evidence about safety.

Experts said whether the GEAC clearance this time paves the way for final commercial release of GM mustard is unclear because as per protocol the minutes of the committee’s meeting are uploaded after all clearances have been obtained.

“Whether this time, the same protocol applies or the approval will once again need to go through the table of the minister remains to be seen,” said a senior scientist.

The GEAC said on the website that the recommendation to release GM mustard is for four years from the date of issue of the approval letter.

The development of the hybrid and its post-release monitoring will be done by a team of senior subject matter and external experts, as per the GEAC order.

“Commercial use of DMH-11 hybrid shall be subject to Seed Act 1966 and related rules and regulations, its amendments and Gazette notifications from time to time as applicable,” GEAC said in its minutes.

“Commercial use of GM mustard hybrid DMH-11 and its parental lines bn 3.6 carrying barnase and bar genes, and modbs 2.99 containing barstar and bar genes will be used for developing new parental lines and hybrids under supervision of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) that will allow Indian mustard farmers to produce more mustard per unit area,” said Bhagirath Choudhary, Founder Director of the South Asia Biotechnology Centre (SABC) in a Facebook post.

He said that the technology for GM mustard will accelerate breeding programmes by both the public and private sector resulting in introduction of high-yielding and superior hybrids capable of revolutionising mustard farming and edible oil production in the country.

Mustard is cultivated in the country in around 6.5-7.0 million hectares of land by around 6 million farmers in Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh.

Mustard matters

However, the per hectare yield of Indian mustard is very low at less than 1000 kg while the global average is more than a third of the same.

“Low mustard production and yield is characterized by a narrow variability in Indian mustard germplasm, lack of hybridization of mustard and infestation of biotic and abiotic stresses. Severe weed infestation after 30-45 days makes it difficult for manual weeding and nearly 30 per cent losses are due to weeds alone,” Choudhury said.

The new GM mustard hybrid promises to address several of these concerns.

Few weeks back, the regulatory authority in Australia approved the commercial cultivation of genetically modified Indian mustard species called ‘Brassica juncea’ for herbicide tolerance.

Scientists said this is perhaps the first anywhere in the world that any genetically modified variety of Indian mustard has been recommended for commercial approval.