India’s first genetically modified food crop, Dhara Mustard Hybrid (DMH-11), has been sown only on two demonstration plots as the issue of the environmental clearance given by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) has been dragged to the Supreme Court. In addition, the seeds have been planted in six places for evaluation of yields. <EP>This is against a target of holding demonstrations of the transgenic crop in 50-100 locations.
A total of 800 gm of seeds have been sown in the plots at Alwar and Bharatpur in Rajasthan. The sowing of the seeds was taken up on these two plots before the Supreme Court ordered “status quo” on the issue.
DMH 11 will be sown at 50-100 places in major mustard-growing States — Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana —, said Trilochan Mohapatra, President of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NASS) and former director-general of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), on October 31.
Confirming the scientific field trial, the director of Bharatpur-based Directorate of Rapeseed-Mustard Research (DRMR), PK Rai said, “The initial plan was to sow 50 gm of seeds each at eight different plots. After the petitions were listed for hearing on November 3, we decided to drop two locations where seeds could not be planted before.”
The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), the regulatory body under the Environment Ministry for GM crops, last month approved the “environmental release” of the DMH-11 seed for trials, demonstrations and seed productions under the supervision of the ICAR. DMH-11 has been developed by the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants at the Delhi University.
The Centre, in its affidavit in the Supreme Court against the petitions, said the permission was subject to stringent norms. It said GM mustard has been permitted in the national and public interest as mustard is the most important edible oil with its yield stagnating.<SU>The country imports 60 per cent of its edible oil requirement, it said. The apex court will continue hearing the petitions this week.
3 seasons evaluation
Stating that no sowing has been undertaken from November 3 onwards, Rai said the variety’s yield performance will be evaluated in each of the six plots. “DMH-11 was never tested for its yield performance in India. Without completion of field trials, it is difficult to say what will be its productivity,” Rai said. Explaining yield evaluation, which is normally undertaken in three levels in three seasons, he said the first is “initial trial” (IHT), the second is Advance Hybrid Trial-1 (AHT-I) and the third Advance Hybrid Trial-II (AHT-II).
The variety has to pass through each level and if it does not conform to set standards at one level, the next level trial is not undertaken. In the case of DMH-11, the government has to wait at least until April 2025 to ascertain its yield before any approval is given for its commercial release. Mustard is a rabi crop grown during winter and can be grown only once a year.
The developer of DMH-11 had conducted only Biosafety Research Trial (BRL)-II in a protected environment in some locations. So, the yield level in BRL-II trial, done in a controlled environment, may be different from open cultivation, experts said. It is claimed that DHM-11 gives up to 30 per cent higher yield than the comparative variety “Varuna”.
‘Giriraj’, ‘Pioneer 45S46’ and RH-749 are some leading mustard hybrids currently grown in the country with yield levels ranging between 22 and 26 quintal per hectare.
Rai said using the GM technology, which was so far restricted in food crops, the yield can be further improved when further work is done on the currently available high-yielding hybrids.