ICAR chief busts myths linked to GM mustard DMH-11; says its performance is being tested

New Delhi: Busting the myths associated with the GM mustard variant DMH-11, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Director General Himanshu Pathak on Friday made it clear that right now only its performance is being tested as per the ICAR guidelines.

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), a regulatory body of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, had recommended the environmental release of the DMH-11 seed for trials, demonstrations and seed productions under the supervision of the ICAR in a meeting on October 18.

Dhara Mustard Hybrid (DMH-11) is a hybrid seed variety – developed by the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants at the Delhi University – that has stirred a storm between scientists, farmers and activists over its environmental release. The anti-GM group has knocked the doors of the Supreme Court.

Pathak, in a statement, said the GEAC has given permission for the environmental release to DMH 11 and its parental lines after experts' opinion, biosafety data examinations and long scientific deliberations.

However, it is more than a decade when this hybrid was evaluated. It is relevant to test its performance against the currently grown hybrids and varieties as check in the national trials under the All-India Coordinated Research Project on Rapeseed and Mustard as per ICAR guidelines, he said.

Biotech regulator Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) has precisely recommended that DMH-11 will be released for commercial cultivation only if it is found significantly superior, he said.

However, certain group of people opposing the technology are unnecessarily dragging the discussion around yield advantages, he said.

"...no one claims that DMH 11, per se, will solve the problem of edible oil import. However, the commercial release of the hybrid DMH 11 is subject to its testing and performance against the present day used check varieties/hybrids in trials," Pathak said in a statement.

The environmental release of parental lines of DMH 11 will help the mustard breeders to deploy the robust and versatile genetically engineered Barnase/ Barstar system of hybrid seed production to develop new generation hybrids of mustard with greater yield advantages, he said.

"This will be a step forward in addressing the problem of low productivity in mustard and import of edible oil in future," he added.

Pathak also mentioned that many myths are being propagated about the approval of DMH 11 by the opponents of GM.

"All the national agencies and public research systems with expertise -- in the areas of agriculture, health including modern and ayurvedic science, environment and ecology -- are officially and formally involved in the risk assessment of the product for its being safe to humans, animals and environment," he said.