Written by Parthasarathi Biswas | Pune | Updated: June 12, 2020 12:56:06 pm Genetic engineering aims to transcend the genus barrier by introducing an alien gene in the seeds to get the desired effects. (File Photo)
Last week, Shetkari Sanghatana the farmers union founded by the late leader Sharad Joshi announced fresh plans in its agitation for use of genetically modified seeds. In the current kharif season, farmers would undertake mass sowing of GM seeds for maize, soyabean, mustard brinjal and herbicide tolerant (Ht) cotton, although these are not approved. Farmers had carried out a similar movement last year, too.
What are genetically modified seeds?
Conventional plant breeding involves crossing species of the same genus to provide the offspring with the desired traits of both parents. Genetic engineering aims to transcend the genus barrier by introducing an alien gene in the seeds to get the desired effects. The alien gene could be from a plant, an animal or even a soil bacterium.
Bt cotton, the only GM crop that is allowed in India, has two alien genes from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that allows the crop to develop a protein toxic to the common pest pink bollworm. Ht Bt, on the other, cotton is derived with the insertion of an additional gene, from another soil bacterium, which allows the plant to resist the common herbicide glyphosate.
In Bt brinjal, a gene allows the plant to resist attacks of fruit and shoot borer.
In DMH-11 mustard, developed by Deepak Pental and colleague in the South Campus of University of Delhi, genetic modification allows cross-pollination in a crop that self-pollinates in nature.
Across the world, GM variants of maize, canola and soyabean, too, are available.
What is the legal position of genetically modified crops in India?
In India, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) is the apex body that allows for commercial release of GM crops. In 2002, the GEAC had allowed the commercial release of Bt cotton. More than 95 per cent of the countrys cotton area has since then come under Bt cotton. Use of the unapproved GM variant can attract a jail term of 5 years and fine of Rs 1 lakh under the Environmental Protection Act ,1989.
Why are farmers rooting for GM crops?
In the case of cotton, farmers cite the high cost of weeding, which goes down considerably if they grow Ht Bt cotton and use glyphosate against weeds. Brinjal growers in Haryana have rooted for Bt brinjal as it reduces the cost of production by cutting down on the use of pesticides.
Unauthorised crops are widely used. Industry estimates say that of the 4-4.5 crore packets (each weighing 400 gm) of cotton sold in the country, 50 lakh are of the unapproved Ht Bt cotton. Haryana has reported farmers growing Bt brinjal in pockets which had caused a major agitation there. In June last year, in a movement led by Shetkari Sanghatana in Akola district of Maharashtra, more than 1,000 farmers defied the government and sowed Ht Bt cotton. The Akola district authorities subsequently booked the organisers.
Express Explainedis now onTelegram. Clickhere to join our channel (@ieexplained)and stay updated with the latest
Environmentalists argue that the long-lasting effect of GM crops is yet to be studied and thus they should not be released commercially. Genetic modification, they say, brings about changes that can be harmful to humans in the long run.
What is the movement about?
The Sanghatana has announced that this year they are going to undertake large-scale sowing of unapproved GM crops like maize, Ht Bt cotton, soyabean and brinjal across Maharashtra. Farmers who plant such variants will put up boards on their fields proclaiming the GM nature of their crop. Anil Ghanwat, president of the union, has said this action will draw attention to the need for introduction of the latest technology in the fields. He said farmers will not be deterred by any action taken against them by the authorities.
The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines
For all the latest Explained News, download Indian Express App.
The Indian Express (P) Ltd
Read the original post:
GM seeds: the debate, and a sowing agitation - The Indian Express
- First cow to produce human insulin in its milk created in Brazil - Cosmos - March 18th, 2024
- Engineering the Microbiome: CRISPR Leads the Way - The Scientist - March 18th, 2024
- The de-extinction process to bring woolly mammoths back to life - The Week - March 18th, 2024
- CRISPR gene editing applications are expanding dramatically in agriculture. Here are the latest advances - Genetic Literacy Project - March 18th, 2024
- Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) - National Human Genome Research Institute - March 18th, 2024
- Colossal Genetic Breakthrough Could Be the Key to Reviving Wooly Mammoths - Syfy - March 18th, 2024
- Breaking: Crop gene editing greenlighted by European Parliament. Fight over labeling looms as measure moves to the ... - Genetic Literacy Project - February 10th, 2024
- GMOs on the spotlight in East Africa again - The Citizen - February 10th, 2024
- Blog: Let's Not Ignore the Science in the Fight Against Malaria - chimpreports.com - February 10th, 2024
- Genetic engineering techniques - Wikipedia - January 9th, 2024
- 20.3: Genetic Engineering - Biology LibreTexts - January 9th, 2024
- Genetic Modification Techniques and Applications - Technology Networks - January 9th, 2024
- Transformation-associated recombination (TAR) cloning and its applications - EurekAlert - January 9th, 2024
- Are GMOs Safe? The Benefits of Science-Enhanced Foods | TIME - TIME - January 9th, 2024
- Here's the skinny on fast-emerging genetic engineering tools that are rapidly improving global farming - Genetic Literacy Project - January 9th, 2024
- What Fruit Looked Like 100 Years Ago, Before Genetic Modification - Green Matters - January 9th, 2024
- APHIS Reopens Comment Period on Proposed Additional Exemptions for Plants Modified or Produced Through Genetic Engineering - The National Law Review - January 9th, 2024
- Restriction Enzyme Market is set to Reach US$ 647.41 million at a CAGR of 5.7% from the forecast period 2023 to ... - GlobeNewswire - January 9th, 2024
- Genetic engineering - DNA Modification, Cloning, Gene Splicing - December 13th, 2023
- Star Trek: Julian Bashir's Tale of Genetic Engineering and the Complexity of Parental Acceptance - GameRant - December 13th, 2023
- How to Improve Livestock Health, and Cut - Breakthrough Institute - December 13th, 2023
- Opinion | The Genetically-Engineered Tree That Never Was - Common Dreams - December 13th, 2023
- Genome Editing Market Size and Share to Surpass USD 14.5 billion by 2035 | Roots Analysis - Yahoo Finance - December 13th, 2023
- Dallas-Based Colossal Biosciences Aims to De-Extinct the Woolly Mammoth - The Texan - December 13th, 2023
- Revolutionizing probiotic therapy: The emergence of CRISPR-Cas engineered strains - Medical Xpress - December 13th, 2023
- Genetically engineered cell therapies with mRNA lipid nanoparticles for transferrable platelets - Phys.org - December 13th, 2023
- 'Perhaps GMOs are closer to natural processes than we think': How genetic modification mimics natural evolution of ... - Genetic Literacy Project - December 13th, 2023
- Advancements in Genome Editing and CRISPR-Cas9 Technology - Medriva - December 13th, 2023
- Gene Therapy: Unlocking Innovations in Cancer Treatment, Detection, and Drug Development - Securities.io - December 13th, 2023
- Mayo Clinic Research on Genetically Engineered Virus and CAR-T Cell Therapy for Liver Cancer - Medriva - December 13th, 2023
- Global Gene Editing Market Poised for Significant Growth, Projected to Reach $14.28 Billion by 2027 - EIN News - December 13th, 2023
- Principles of Genetic Engineering - PMC - National Center for ... - May 17th, 2023
- Quitting: A Life Strategy: The Myth of Perseveranceand How the New Science of Giving Up Can Set You Free - Next Big Idea Club Magazine - May 17th, 2023
- 18 Human Genetic Engineering - Clemson University - March 29th, 2023
- Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering - Benefits and Risks - March 29th, 2023
- How artificial skin is made and its uses, from treating burns to skin cancer - South China Morning Post - March 29th, 2023
- Genetic Engineering - Meaning, Applications, Advantages and Challenges ... - March 13th, 2023
- Revolutionary Specialty Enzymes Transform Industries, Projected to Reach $2.2 Billion by 2031 - Billion-Dollar - EIN News - March 5th, 2023
- Explained: What is genome editing technology and how is it different from GM technology? - The Indian Express - April 2nd, 2022
- Scribe Therapeutics to Participate in Upcoming Goldman Sachs The New Guard: Privates Leading the Disruption in Healthcare Investor Conference - Yahoo... - April 2nd, 2022
- San Antonio Zoo In Discussions on Woolly Mammoth Project - iHeart - April 2nd, 2022
- Xenotransplantation trials will require adjusting expectations, experts say - STAT - April 2nd, 2022
- 5 Interesting Startup Deals You May Have Missed In March: Restoring The Woolly Mammoth, Faux Seafood And Lots Of Bees - Crunchbase News - April 2nd, 2022
- Synlogic to Present Data on Phenylketonuria and Homocystinuria Programs at the Society for ... - KULR-TV - April 2nd, 2022
- The Bay Area food tech industry is creating more than vegan burgers. Heres whats next - San Francisco Chronicle - April 2nd, 2022
- Student Startup Teams to Compete For $110000 Cash Prize Pool in U of A's Heartland Challenge - University of Arkansas Newswire - April 2nd, 2022
- Should we test for differences in allergen content between varieties of crops and animal species? - Open Access Government - April 2nd, 2022
- Genetic Engineering - Courses, Subjects, Eligibility ... - December 22nd, 2021
- Scientists Used CRISPR Gene Editing to Choose the Sex of Mouse Pups - Singularity Hub - December 22nd, 2021
- Report calls for broad public deliberation on releasing gene-edited species in the wild - EurekAlert - December 22nd, 2021
- RNA and DNA Extraction Kit Market Study | Know the Post-Pandemic Scenario of the Industry - BioSpace - December 22nd, 2021
- Opinion: Allow Golden Rice to save lives - pnas.org - December 22nd, 2021
- It's time for an alliance of democracies | TheHill - The Hill - December 22nd, 2021
- Aridis Pharmaceuticals Announces a Pan-Coronavirus Monoclonal Antibody Cocktail That Retains Effectiveness Against the Omicron variant, other COVID-19... - December 22nd, 2021
- 2021: when the link between the climate and biodiversity crises became clear - The Guardian - December 22nd, 2021
- Wuhan lab leak now the most likely cause of Covid pandemic and the truth WILL come out, experts tell MPs... - The US Sun - December 22nd, 2021
- Biotech ETFs That Outperformed Last Week - Yahoo Finance - December 22nd, 2021
- Human genetic enhancement - Wikipedia - October 5th, 2021
- Viewpoint: Part 1 Opposition stirred by anti-GMO advocacy group propaganda fading in the developing world, as more countries embrace crop... - October 5th, 2021
- Amyris Partners with Inscripta to Enhance Development of Sustainable Ingredients Using the Onyx Genome Engineering Platform - WWNY - October 5th, 2021
- Kingdom Supercultures raises $25m to expand Non GMO suite of microbes to unlock new flavors, textures, and functionalities in food & beverage -... - October 5th, 2021
- Fact check: Genetically engineering your salad with the COVID-19 vaccines? We're not there yet. - USA TODAY - October 5th, 2021
- Making the Transition from an Academic to a Biobusiness Entrepreneur - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News - October 5th, 2021
- Is The New York Times Finally 'Learning To Love GMOS'? - American Council on Science and Health - October 5th, 2021
- Gene editing, joke theft and manifesting - The Week UK - October 5th, 2021
- Opinion: Saving lives through real social justice - Agri-Pulse - October 5th, 2021
- What is biohacking? - News Anyway - October 5th, 2021
- Science, business and the humanities: CP Snow's 'Two Cultures' sixty years on - TheArticle - October 5th, 2021
- Probiotic Yeast Engineered To Produce Beta-Carotene - Technology Networks - April 17th, 2021
- In the US, Imminent Release of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes To Fight Dengue - The Wire Science - April 17th, 2021
- CRISPRoff: A New Addition to the CRISPR Toolbox - Technology Networks - April 17th, 2021
- A Massive New Gene Editing Project Is Out to Crush Alzheimer's - Singularity Hub - April 17th, 2021
- Grammar of the Genome: Reading the Influence of DNA on Disease - Baylor University - April 17th, 2021
- We cannot let China set the standards for 21st century technologies | TheHill - The Hill - April 17th, 2021
- First GMO Mosquitoes to Be Released in the Florida Keys - Singularity Hub - April 17th, 2021
- Novavax to Participate in University of Oxford Com-COV2 Study Comparing Mixed COVID-19 Vaccine Combinations - BioSpace - April 17th, 2021
- AmunBio and NorthShore University to Advance Cancer Immunotherapy with Engineered Oncolytic Viruses - OncoZine - April 17th, 2021
- StrideBio Announces a Multi-technology License and Master SRA with Duke University to Advance Next-generation Gene Therapies - BioSpace - April 17th, 2021
- ThermoGenesis : The History of Cell and Gene Therapy - marketscreener.com - April 17th, 2021
- EU's refusal to permit GMO crops led to millions of tonnes of additional CO2, scientists reveal - Alliance for Science - Alliance for Science - February 14th, 2021