Besides, some easily usable and reliable techniques and equipment have also been developed indigenously to make on-the-spot confirmations of the presence or absence of Bt genes in crops. These are proving useful for farmers to distinguish between genuine and spurious Bt seeds. The technology for manufacturing these kits and testing systems, developed in the public-funded research centres, is being passed on to prospective entrepreneurs for commercial production and marketing.
Preparing a powder containing Bt bacteria is one of the ways of using this microbe's pest-controlling attributes without actually putting their specific genes, such as Cry1Ac, into the plants. This powder (termed Bt var. kurstaki wettable powder) has been developed by the Rajendranagar (Hyderabad)-based Directorate of Oilseed Research and licensed for commercial production to some 40 medium scale enterprises engaged in bio-pesticides business. These units do not need much additional investment to their infrastructure to produce Bt-doped insecticidal powder.
This product serves as an effective shield against pests such as stem and pod borers, semiloopers and leaf folders for several crops, such as rice, gram, pigeon pea (tur or arhar), castor and others. Scientists say the toxic proteins of Bt strike insect-pests in their larval stages and prevent them from growing and damaging the crops. A noteworthy feature of Bt powder is that it automatically degrades after being applied on the crops without leaving any toxic residue and, thus, is safe for human beings and livestock. Besides, it kills only the harmful insects and spares crop-friendly ones, including predators of harmful insects.
The production cost of Bt powder is relatively meagre since it is produced through solid state fermentation rather than the more costly submerged fermentation process normally used for multiplying Bt bacteria. At the prevailing prices, its manufacturing cost works out at roughly around Rs 275 per kg. The product can, thus, be made available to farmers at affordable prices.
India has so far permitted the cultivation of just one GM crop - Bt cotton. However, gene-altered versions of several other crops, including food crops like Bt brinjal, are already under different stages of evolution or testing. In many other countries, including some of India's active trading partners, many GM crops are being regularly grown. There are fears, further fanned by anti-GM lobbyists, that Bt toxins may have escaped from GM crops to pollute the genetic composition of non-GM crops.
To address this issue by testing the crops against the presence of Bt gene, such as Cry1Ac widely used in Indian Bt-cotton seeds, a "Bt express kit" has been developed by the Nagpur-based Central Institute of Cotton Research. This kit, containing 50 testing strips, costs around Rs 1,000 and takes hardly five to 10 minutes to tell whether Cry1Ac toxic protein is present in a plant or seed or not. Its manufacturing and marketing licence has been given to a Nagpur-based company to make it available to farmers for ascertaining whether they are buying genuine or fake seeds of Bt-cotton hybrids.
Another alien gene detection system, based on a biochemical technology called polymerase chain reaction, has been developed by the New Delhi-based National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR). This low-cost, efficient and less time-consuming technique can screen at least 10 crops, the gene-altered versions of which are under trials. These include brinjal, cauliflower, okra, potato, tomato, rice, maize, mustard, soyabean and cotton. The effectiveness of this GM assaying system has been tested in the presence of the US and European Union observers. The NBPGR has already licensed its production on a non-exclusive basis to a Hyderabad-based company.
These technologies can, evidently, prove handy for farmers to verify the bona fides of Bt seeds and for GM-wary consumers and activists to confirm absence of any Bt toxin in non-GM farm products.
surinder.sud@gmail.com