India gives environmental approval for genetically-modified mustard

India has cleared the “environmental release” of indigenous, genetically-modified and high-yielding mustard hybrids, paving the way for commercial production of GM mustard seeds that the farmers may hope to get after a couple of years.

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee – the country’s GM regulator under the Union Environment Ministry – has issued permits to the developer, the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants under Delhi University following years of deliberations and multiple screenings by various expert committees.

The GEAC has approved the release of GM mustard hybrid DMH-11 for seed production besides deregulating the two parental lines (carrying bar, barnase and barstar genes) that can be used by others to create better hybrids or parental lines under the supervision of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research.

According to the permit letter that the DU team headed by geneticist Deepak Pental received, the approval is valid for four years and would be renewed for two years at a time based on the compliance report to observe the performance of the crop as well as its impact on honeybees and other pollinators – a concern raised by environmentalists.

"I can call it a landmark development," said Pental, a former vice-chancellor of Delhi University, who developed the seeds along with his team, in an effort stretching more than three decades.

This is the first GM food crop approved by India and may become the second genetically engineered commercial crop after Bt cotton that was given green signal more than two decades ago by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. More than 95 per cent of India’s cotton areas cultivate Bt cotton because of which India’s annual cotton production has gone up from 13 million bales in 2002 to 35 million bales in 2021.

“In 2021-22, India imported 14-14.5 million tonnes of edible oil costing a record foreign exchange outgo of $18.99 billion (about Rs 1.5 lakh crore) to meet almost 70 per cent of domestic edible oil requirement amidst abysmally low yield and production of oilseed crops,” said Bhagirath Choudhary, founder director of South Asia Biotechnology Centre.

“Infusing technology to harness genetic gain, addressing rapidly changing climatic situations and increasing adoption of hybridiSation in oilseeds like mustard are prerequisites to break yield barrier and vicious cycle of edible oil import.”

The hybrid DMH-11 was developed in 2002. Plot level trials, conducted under the supervision of ICAR, showed DMH-11 yields 28% more than mega variety Varuna and 37% more than zonal check varieties.

“The approval is a highly desired move that will catalyze crop improvement efforts using high end science, a much needed strategy to meet nutritional needs,” said Rakesh Mishra, former director of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad.

“Since it is a public sector hybrid, the cost of seed will only be marginally higher. The mustard farmers are ready for a change and the country will benefit by reducing imports of edible oil,” said K Vijayraghavan, former Principal Scientific Advisor to the government.

While scientists welcomed the GEAC decision, the critics described the permit as “lack of responsible regulation.” “Nothing has changed from 2017 when GEAC gave its approval to GM mustard commercial cultivation, but the decision was not cleared by the competent authority i.e. Minister,” said Kavita Kurugranthi from the Coalition for a GM Free India.

In 2017, the GEAC approved the GM mustard hybrid, but the subsequent clearance from the minister never came in the backdrop of sharp resistance from the critics even though the scientists backed the technology.