India Will Test Genetically Modified Potatoes
India will test two more genetically modified (GM) food products – bananas, and potatoes -, potentially bringing in a new age of biotech-enhanced farming.
The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), the central government body that watches and authorizes GM activity, has recently authorized field trials of a variety of GM crops, including rubber and newer cotton types.
This comes after nearly two decades of slow development in the area since the approval of genetically modified cotton in 2002.
“It is understandable to be concerned about the crop’s safety. Because we have free speech, campaigners have the right to share their concerns. However, it is the responsibility of a scientist to produce facts and data to demonstrate that the crop is safe to ingest,” Sanjeev Sharma of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) in Shimla, who is working on GM potatoes, mentioned, cited by Krishi Jagran.
Since 2005, Sharma has been focusing on creating a potato variety that can withstand the fungal illness late blight. Late blight is caused by the bacterium Phytophthora infestans. It can also damage tomatoes and other Solanaceae family members such as peppers and brinjals. The disease spreads rapidly in cool, wet conditions and can cause significant harm to potato harvests.
Late blight is a major concern for potato farmers in India, where potatoes are one of the most significant products. Late blight, according to an ICAR evaluation, can result in yield declines of up to 50%. Potatoes may also become unfit for human consumption or processing as a consequence of the disease, resulting in extra economic losses. According to ICAR statistics, the typical yearly crop loss in India due to late blight is considered to be 15% of the total crop. The illness is prevalent throughout the nation, but losses are greater in hilly regions where crops are grown under rainfed conditions than in plains.
“After wheat and rice, potatoes are the world’s third most significant food crop.” The crop is produced on 2.2 million hectares in India, with an annual production of roughly 53 million metric tonnes. “The productivity is approximately 23 to 24 tonnes per hectare,” Sharma explained.
He went on to say that 90% of the produce is grown in the subtropical Indo-Gangetic region, where late blight becomes epidemic after every third or fourth harvest cycle. According to Sharma, late blight can cost producers Rs 70,000 billion per year. Pesticides and fungicides have traditionally been used to control the disease, increasing the cost of cultivation.
Furthermore, fungicide tolerance develops when the pathogen is frequently subjected to them.
“During eight to ten years, diseases acquire resistant to even new varieties of blight-resistant crops generated through inbreeding,” Sharma declared.
To get around this, the researchers developed a new potato type that produces the RB gene. This gene, taken from the wild potato variety Solanum bulbocastanum, confers resistance to late blight on the plant.
The crew started by importing GM potatoes under a material transfer arrangement with experts in the United States.
“That variety was cross-bred with the most popular Indian variety, Kukri Jyoti, which accounts for more than 21% of the land in India,” Sharma said.
The novel GM cultivar KJ66 will now be subjected to Biosafety Research Level (BRL)-1 and BRL-2 tests. The BRL-1 trials are constrained experiments in which seeding is confined to one acre of ground per study site. At this moment, researchers can only spread the seeds over 8.9 hectares at a time. Each BRL-2 experiment site can use up to a hectare of ground.
“We intend to carry out the trial in six different agri-ecological zones, three in the highlands and three in the subtropical plains. We have acquired no-objection certificates from the governments of Meghalaya and Himachal Pradesh for the trials. We’ve also approached other states,” Sharma said.
During the Kharif season this year, the experts plan to plant the first seeds for the experiment in Shimla and Shillong. The CPRI has also asked for approval from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Punjab because trials in different ecological zones will help scientists better evaluate whether the variety is appropriate for the entire nation or if it must be limited to particular areas.