THE CROSS ROAD OF GM(GENETICALLY MODIFIED) MUSTARD

 

THE CROSS ROAD OF GM (GENETICALLY MODIFIED) MUSTARD 

This is an interesting subject, I thought some readers here may find interest over it.

This is also a quite controversial subject, therefore, I am just doing a touch base of it, as basic information about it and many of you may like to know for your information. Detailing on this kind of subjects could be volumes otherwise, as views would exist on both sides.

The Indian Regulator, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) has given clearance for GM (Genetically Modified) Mustard for commercial cultivation in India. The subject from here would require further Approval of Government of India for final go ahead.  The matter has been released to public domain 2-days back.

I am giving a link of one of The Hindustan Times publication for any one of you to do further reading if you like, if you have not already read about it :


This project has been undertaken jointly by the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants of Delhi University and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) of India. The Proposed GM Mustard has been interestingly named as DHARA HYBRID MUSTARD-11 ( DMH-11 ). Interestingly "Dhara" is a brand name of Edible Oils of NDDB, that was created at the time of Dr. V. Kurien. There are some of my former colleagues who respectably worked for Dhara Edible Oils of NDDB either from NDDB or from GCMMF ( Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Limited, Anand ) in the past, I did so as well for some years from GCMMF side among others.

Basics about the Subject :

1. Basically the Genetic Modification of Indian Mustard has been done by incorporating Two-Bacterial Genes drawn from Naturally Occurring Bacteria, into the Genetic Configuration of Indian Mustard Crop. As it is known, while Mustard Crop is a Plant, the Bacteria belong to the microorganism category, that is a combination of genes by Genetic Engineering Process.

2. Out of the two Bacterial Genes, one is known as "Barnase" that will switch on the Male Sterility in the Mustard Plants, that means the plants of this GM Mustard Crop will be Male Sterile, hence there can't be Self Pollination of the Crop, and it will be Cross Pollination leading to Hybridization and production of Hybrid Mustard Seeds. The other Bacterial Gene in this case is known as "Barster" that will do the function of switch off for the male sterility.

3. It is postulated that the DMH-11 GM Mustard will give higher yield compared to normal mustard crop.

As I said, I am not going to dwell too much into this controversial subject here, as it will go into volumes and there are views for its pros and cons.

We have our compulsions in India with regards to :

a) Huge Population and Growing population to feed for future.

b) Agricultural Cropping Areas are shrinking in India and also Globally, due to Urbanization, Housing, Industrialization, Modern Infrastructure Need and for many other factors.

c) There is growing demand for higher yields from the Crops and it is never ending depending on need of the world, and so also in India. Use of Science is on this area by various ways and GM (Genetic Modification ) is one of those.

Then, there are various other sides of views from the opposite view points that do not go fully with science but other considerations of the society and environment at large.

There are other GM Modified Food Crops that exist in the World in other countries, however, in India, among the Food Crops grown till date, if approved finally, may be the first among the Food Crops.

I leave the matter here, keeping it in your information of the readers, and without saying more about it here, as I have said above, some of you who have interest about it, can read further and apply your mind.


About the Author : Dr. Nimain Charan Biswal is a B.Sc.(Agri. Science and Technology), M.B.A. and Ph.D.(Management Area ) by qualifications; and he has 36+ years of work experience in both industrial and development sectors in diversified fields of social importance. He has been educated at Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT)-Bhubaneswar, Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) and Gujarat University (with Resource Support of IIM-Ahmedabad). He is further educated at IIM-Calcutta, XLRI-Jamshedpur, Apple Computer Industries and Spar Inc., USA. He has worked for reputed National and International Organizations in Senior/Top Management Capacities at Board level as well as Managing Director and CEO. He is a management expert covering extensive areas from management in industrial sectors, management in agriculture and dairy, development management to management of public systems. He is a prominent professional of India and known Internationally as well. He lives at Mumbai in India.






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