The genetically­-engineered variant of mustard.

News Highlight

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee has approved the environmental release of Dhara Mustard Hybrid­11 (DMH­11), a genetically engineered variant of mustard.

Key Takeaway

• If approved for commercial cultivation it would be the first genetically modified food crop available to Indian farmers.

GM Mustard

• About
• Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11, otherwise known as DMH – 11, is a genetically modified hybrid variety of the mustard species Brassica juncea. 
• Development

• Professor Deepak Pental developed it at the University of Delhi to reduce India’s demand for edible oil imports.
• The transgenic mustard DMH – 11 was developed in 2002 using genetic material isolated from non-pathogenic soil bacteria and techniques in transgenic systems for pollination control, primarily involving the Barnase-Barstar system.
• Three genes, Bar, Barnase and Barstar, were extracted from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens to produce the hybrid seed.
• Technology

• DMH – 11 was created through transgenic technology, primarily involving the Bar, Barnase and Barstar gene systems.
• The Barnase gene confers male sterility, while the Barstar gene restores DMH – 11’s ability to produce fertile seeds.
• The insertion of the third gene, Bar, enables DMH – 11 to produce phosphinothricin-N- acetyl-transferase, the enzyme responsible for Glufosinate resistance. 

Genetically Modified(GM ) Crops

• What?
• These are plants whose DNA has been modified through genetic engineering to embed a new trait in the plant that does not occur naturally in the species.
• Aims
• Genetic engineering aims to transcend the genus barrier by introducing an alien gene in the seeds to get the desired effects, and the alien gene could be from a plant, an animal or even a soil bacterium.

Other GM crops in India

• Bt cotton

• Bt cotton has two alien genes from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that allow the crop to develop a protein toxic to the common pest pink bollworm. 
• On the other hand, Bt cotton is derived by inserting an additional gene from another soil bacterium, which allows the plant to resist the common glyphosate herbicide.
• Bt Brinjal

• In Bt brinjal, a gene allows the plant to resist fruit and shoot borer attacks.
• In Bt brinjal, a gene permits the plant to resist fruit attacks and shoot borers.

Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC)

• About
• It is a statutory body under the Environment (Protection) Act 1986.
• Formation

• It was formed as the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee and was renamed to its current name in 2010.
• It functions under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
• Functions

• The body regulates the use, manufacture, storage, import and export of hazardous microorganisms or genetically-engineered organisms and cells in India.
• The committee is also responsible for evaluating proposals relating to releasing genetically engineered (GE) organisms and products into the environment, including experimental field trials.
• Composition

• The Committee is chaired by the Special Secretary/Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
• A representative of the Department of Biotechnology is a co-chair.

Pros of commercialisation of the GM Mustard

• The edible oil import bill

• India is the world’s second-largest consumer and number one vegetable oil importer, meeting 55-60 per cent of its need through imports.
• Trials conducted over three years by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) suggest that DMH­11 has 28% higher yields.
• The higher yields are necessary to meet India’s rising edible­oil import bill.
• Beneficial in Specific Climates

• Genetically modified seeds can also be produced for specific conditions or climates. 
• For example, drought-resistant seeds can be used in places with little water to ensure healthy crop growth.
• The batter for other crops
• The successful commercialisation would enhance the usage of GM technology for other food crops.
• Ensure food security
• Genetically modified crops provide a stable and efficient way to sustain enough crops to feed the ever-growing population of people in India.
• Economic benefit
• Genetically modified crops can increase yield and thus increase farm income.

Cons of commercialisation of the GM Mustard

• Environmental Concern
• The commercialisation of GM mustard plants may dissuade bees from pollinating the plant, which could have knock­off environmental catastrophes.
• Ethical Concern
• Genetically modified crop violates natural organisms’ intrinsic values by mixing among species.
• The rise in input cost

• Genetically modified seeds do not create viable seed offspring by design. 
• This means that every time the farmer wants to plant a new crop, the farmer has to go to the company and originally bought the seeds.
• Tolerant to a herbicide
• Preparation of mustard hybrids requires using another gene, called the bar gene that makes it tolerant to a herbicide called glufosinate­-ammonium.
• Patenting of GM plants

• Patenting these seeds increases the price, and small farmers, especially in developing countries, cannot afford to buy GM seeds yearly. 
• This result is financially disastrous for poor farmers in developing countries like India, further increasing the inequality in the distribution of income.

Content Source: The Hindu

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