To protect India’s bees, we need to understand their impact on agricultural practices

To protect India’s bees, we need to understand their impact on agricultural practices

Subject : Science and Technology

Section: Biotech Technology

Context: Farmers worry about effect of genetically modified crops on honey bees.

More on the News:

• The increasing production of genetically modified (GM) crops has raised concerns about their potential negative impact, especially on pollinators such as bees.
• As honeybee populations decline, beekeepers in India have united against GM crops, including the recently approved GM mustard.
• The decline of honeybees can be an agricultural catastrophe for India, as crops in 50 million ha across the country depend on pollination by bees.
• Supreme Court of India is hearing a batch of petitions seeking a ban on commercially cultivating indigenously developed GM mustard. The central government has, however, stated GM crops are safe for cultivation and not harmful to honeybees.
• GM crops could have direct and indirect impacts on bees. Direct impacts can be from the toxicity of the product of genetic modification.
• Despite conclusive evidence from studies conducted in other countries that Bt cotton, the sole genetically modified crop cultivated in India, does not harm bees directly, farmers in India remain apprehensive.
• The farmers and beekeepers are more concerned about the indirect effects of GM crops. The timing and length of flowering in GM crops may pose a significant threat to bees. Some GM crops flower earlier or later than conventional crops, which can cause a mismatch in when bees need nectar and pollen and when it is available.
• This mismatch could ultimately lead to a drop in honey production, which can lead to starvation in bee colonies.

More about Pollination:https://optimizeias.com/decline-in-pollinators/

More about GM Mustard:https://optimizeias.com/gm-mustard-is-irreversible/