Independent India witnessed the Green Revolution led by Dr. MS Swaminathan and Prof. Norman Borlaug, the first major technology-led agricultural development. The new technology infusion for agriculture brought the introduction of high-yielding, biotic and abiotic stress tolerant wheat and rice varieties. Agricultural production tripled and there were clear positive effects on poverty reduction, farmers’ incomes, reduced imports and increased exports. Over the years, with increasing demands for improved productivity and production in agriculture to meet food and nutrition security goals, there has been a renewed emphasis on the development and deployment of new technologies to improve agriculture
There are a number of such technologies that have had an impact around the world – from genome marker-assisted breeding to genetic engineering to genome editing – the potential of these technologies in terms of both human and environmental safety is well established and has shown promise proven in terms of yield increase, biotic and abiotic stress resistance, increased nutritional quality and climate resilience. As of January 2022, a total of 71 countries around the world have introduced GM crops, 29 countries have grown nearly 200 million hectares of GM crops – with 24 developing countries growing about 56% of the GM crop area and the remaining 44% being covered by 5 developed countries
The recent government decision enabling the development of new technologies in agriculture is very positive and encouraging and will give a great boost to agricultural growth in our country and put India on the world map of R&D in agricultural biotechnology.
On October 25, 2022, the Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change, based on the recommendation of the regulatory body GEAC (Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee), allowed the environmental release of the transgenic mustard hybrid DMH-11 and the parent lines bn 3.6 and modbs 2.99 barnase-, barstar- and bar genes to develop new parental lines and hybrids. This important decision will go a long way towards improving crop yields and food quality considering that India now imports nearly 55-60% of its cooking oil needs. To meet this increasing domestic demand, the use of genetically modified (GM) mustard hybrids is the best option available today. Developed by the Delhi University research group after more than 3 decades of research, the GM mustard is the first GM food crop approved for release into the environment in India. Mustard is a self-pollinating crop and this technology enables the development of a very robust hybridization system for mustard to provide farmers with improved hybrids.
Genetically engineered mustard lines and the first hybrid DMH-11 have undergone very rigorous biosecurity testing in India. We have a very robust regulatory system in the country that follows a multi-stage approval process. From the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBSC) to the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM) to the GEAC, the large amount of data collected through biosafety studies is analyzed in detail before the necessary clearances are given. After a detailed risk assessment and taking into account environmental safety data, the GEAC allows the release of the GM plant into the environment.
The release of genetically engineered mustard into the environment allows the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to get these genetically engineered hybrids into the field and conduct extensive field trials and conduct the research needed to develop new hybrids. Post-release monitoring will also provide good scientific data to guide new hybrid production. This is an important technology platform that can be effectively used to improve production and productivity as well as nutritional quality for many other crops. This enabling technology, through a well-planned strategy, will be of great benefit to farmers who, through public-private partnership models, can produce large quantities of seeds to cover large areas of mustard cultivation in the coming years.
The ability to develop new technologies and apply them to the benefit of farmers is the strength that our country has now demonstrated. It is imperative that we make the best possible use of these to ensure that the innovations based on science and technology deliver highly improved products in the hands of our farmers. New technologies today have the potential to advance the development of agriculture. This is now the way for the scientists and farmers to realize the vision of an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.
