Potential of GM mustard yield untested, says DRMR director P K Rai

As per the developer and some scientists, the GM mustard variety DMH-11 has a yield potential of 28-30 per cent increase over the most common mustard variant available in the country

The yield claims made on GM mustard variety DMH-11, which has been recently granted ‘environmental approval’ by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), is still unproven. This is because it has still not been tested according to the guidelines laid down by the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), head of the nodal institute to conduct the trials, said.

According to the developer and some scientists, the DMH-11 variety has a yield potential of 28-30 per cent higher over the most common mustard variant available in the country, ‘Varuna’. DMH-11, when commercialised, can solve much of India’s problem of edible oil import (see chart).

“I would not be able to say anything on yield claims because the variant has so far not been tested according to ICAR protocol. It has just entered our system. Once the trials and studies are over, one will get a clear picture on the actual yield of DMH-11,” P K Rai, director of ICAR’s Directorate of Rapeseed and Mustard Research (DRMR), Bharatpur, told Business Standard.

Rai, however, said that he does not have any questions on the technology per se as this is where the future lies as far as seed science in agriculture is concerned. The institute is one of the major public-funded bodies on mustard research and a nodal institute chosen for conducting further studies on DMH-11 mustard hybrid.

He said so far, DMH-11 GM mustard has undergone bio-safety regulatory field (BRL) trials 1 and 2 in net houses and poly houses. GEAC’s approval has deregulated it for further evaluation in open fields for yield potential and impact on honeybees, all of which will now be done by the institute. The yield trials of DMH-11 have so far been BRL 1 and 2 and not the coordinated trials as mandated by the protocol, Rai said.

Spike in the per hectare mustard yields from an average 1-1.3 tonnes is one of biggest positives that pro-GM groups cite for adoption of the new DMH-11. This is apart from reduction in the use of pesticides and other harmful chemicals.

Rai said every year, the institute gets around 100-105 different varieties of mustard for initial variants trials (IVTs) and initial hybrid trials (IHTs) from both public bodies and private seed companies.

Of this, just around 5-10 per cent goes through the next stage of testing due to extremely stringent conditions of the ICAR.

“So, it does not mean that whatever comes to us goes through the clearance process naturally. The same will also be the fate of DMH-11. If it clears all the checks and balances as laid down by the well-approved guidelines, it will pass through,” Rai said.

He said now that the GM mustard has been planted in the institute’s premises, it will be only after three years that conclusive evidence will emerge on the yield and other parameters.

A recent PTI report said DRMR has planted DMH-11 in six field trial plots for evaluation of yields, days before a petition was filed in the Supreme Court. The petition challenged GEAC's decision to allow DMH-11 for “environment release.”

“Varuna to which DMH-11 is being compared for yield was developed in 2002. And since then, there has been constant research in the field of seed technology. And, there have been several varieties, which are giving better yields than Varuna,” Rai said.

Edible Oil Import Bill Over the Year

Heads	2021-22	2020-21	2019-20	2018-19	2017-18	2016-17
Imports (in volume)*	14.03	13.13	13.18	14.91	14.51	15.08
In Value (Rs Crore)	156,800	117,225	71,625	62,933	66,942	75,125
in Value ($ Billion)	19.6	15.6	9.95	9	9.3	11.6
NOTE: Edible Oil Marketing Year Runs from November to October
Source: Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA)