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The newly approved genetically modified (GM) mustard will be cultivated in at least 100 places. DMH-11 — a hybrid — will be sown over the next few days as part of field-level demonstration allowed to be conducted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). For this purpose, its Bharatpur-based National Research Centre on Rapeseed-Mustard (NRCM) has already collected 2 kg of seeds.
“Totally, 10 kg of DMH 11 are available and it will be sown in 50-100 places in four 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 ICAR.
Since less quantity of seeds is available, first it can be used for demonstration purposes, and some quantity can be used for field trials in more locations. After ascertaining the yield potential of the DMH-11, seed multiplication will be done, he said, adding for field demonstration there is no need to seek State’s permission.
PPP model
“With available seeds, ICAR can easily conduct 50-100 field demonstrations under a controlled environment this rabi season, to check the performance,” said RS Paroda,Cchairman of Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS) and also a former D-G of ICAR.
Efforts are needed to produce more hybrid seeds through private and public partnerships so that a larger area could be covered in the next cropping season, Paroda said. Both Mohapatra and Paroda, addressing the media in Delhi, said this entire process will take at least two years and the hybrid will be available for commercial release within three years.
“A beginning has been made and more and more crops will be developed with genetic engineering technology,” said KC Bansal, secretary of NAAS.
On October 25, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under the Ministry of Environment approved the “environment release” of transgenic mustard hybrid DMH-11 and the parental lines containing barnase, barstar and bar genes so that they can be used for developing new hybrids and authorised ICAR to supervise the research.
Tech deregulated
Scientists said the environmental release of DMH-11 is a landmark decision, breaking a long logjam on the release of GM food crops. The UPA government had withheld GEAC approval for Bt brinjal while the current government had rolled back the GEAC decision in 2017 to allow GM mustard.
DMH-11 is said to have earlier tested for agronomic and yield performance by NRCM but only in limited locations. At that time, it could not be tested in more locations as the technology was not approved by GEAC.
With the environment release of DMH-11, the technology has been deregulated and can now be tested again in more locations and demonstrated in the fields as well as use the technology for developing newer hybrid varieties, Mohapatra said. “All three activities will be done simultaneously,” he said.
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