Surge in illegal HTBt cotton acreage worries seed industry

Surge in illegal HTBt cotton acreage worries seed industry

Subject : Science / Agriculture

Context : The illegal cultivation of herbicide tolerant (HT) Bt cotton has seen a huge jump this year, with seed manufacturers claiming that the sale of illegal seed packets has more than doubled from 30 lakh last year to 75 lakh this year.

Concept :

• Bt cotton remains the only GM crop allowed to be cultivated in the country.
• It was developed by US giant Bayer-Monsanto.
• It involves insertion of two genes viz ‘Cry1Ab’ and ‘Cry2Bc’ from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis into cotton seeds.
• This modification codes the plant to produce protein toxic to Heliothis bollworm (pink bollworm) thus making it resistant to their attack.
• The commercial release of this hybrid was sanctioned by the government in 2002.

About HT Bt Cotton

• The farmers planted an herbicide-tolerant variety of Bt cotton.
• This variety (HtBt) involves the addition of another gene, ‘Cp4-Epsps’ from another soil bacterium, Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
• It is not cleared by GEAC.
• The farmers claim that the HtBt variety can withstand the spray of glyphosate, an herbicide that is used to remove weeds, and thus it substantially saves them de-weeding costs.

What is the procedure involved?

• In India, it is the responsibility of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under the Environment Ministry to assess the safety of a genetically modified plant, and decide whether it is fit for cultivation.
• The GEAC comprises experts and government representatives, and a decision it takes has to be approved by the Environment Minister before any crop is allowed for cultivation.
• Besides Bt cotton, the GEAC has cleared two other genetically modified crops,brinjal and mustard.
• But these have not received the consent of the Environment Minister.
• Legally, sale, storage, transportation and usage of unapproved GM seeds is a punishable offence under the Rules of Environmental Protection Act 1986.
• Also, sale of unapproved seeds can attract action under the Seed Act of 1966 and the Cotton Act of 1957.
• The Environmental Protection Act provides for a jail term of five years and a fine of Rs 1 lakh for violation of its provisions, and cases can be filed under the other two Acts.
• The culprit can also be charged under various sections of the Essential Commodities Act and the Indian Penal Code.