DBT-AAU CENTRE Assam Agricultural University

Jorhat

Concept & Design Prof. Bidyut Kumar Sarmah

Dr. Sumita Acharjee Dr. Basanta Kumar Borah Mr. Surajit Kumar Mishra

Published by DBT-AAU Centre

Assam Agricultural University Jorhat - 785 013

Genetically modified (GM) crops

Genetically modified (GM) crops are those whose genetic makeup is modified by incorporating one or more alien (foreign) gene using Recombinant DNA Technology / Genetic Engineering. Therefore, G M crops are now named as Genetically Engineered (GE) crops. Since Genetic Engineering is one of the modern biotechnology tools, the GE crops are also called as Biotech crops. The alien (foreign) gene that is introduced is termed as 'transgene', therefore G M / GE crops are also called as Transgenics. The source of the gene could be synthetic or from any organism which cannot be otherwise crossed by conventional breeding tools.

Gene: A portion of a DNA / RNA molecule that serves as the basic unit of heredity. Genes control the characteristics that an offspring will have from their parents. Transgene: A transgene is a gene that has been transferred naturally, or by genetic engineering techniques from one organism to another. The introduction of a transgene after has the potential to change the phenotype of an organism.

Gene transfer methods in crops Genetic material or DNA is being naturally transferred between

organisms. However, with the start of crop cultivation, farmers selected suitable germplasm and bred them to some extent in the traditional way. Conventional and molecular breeding methods were also adopted to develop elite varieties. Breeding methods helped transfer of desired gene/ trait to crops, although within cross compatible groups.

Gene gun: Is a device for injecting DNA or genetic material in the cells. Agrobacterium tumefaciens: It is a soil borne bacterium that infects plant cell and transfer a part of its DNA (T-DNA) from its Ti (tumour inducing) plasmid to cause a disease called crown gall. The Agrobacterium strains that are used for plant genetic engineering are engineered in such a way that they cannot induce tumour in recipient plant. However a selection marker gene is used to identify the transformed plant tissues. Plasmid: An extra cellular circular DNA or genetic material found in most of the bacteria.

Modern biotechnological tools open the door to introduce gene (s) from any source into crop plant and with more precision compared to conventional plant breeding techniques. The most common tool used is either a "gene gun" or Agrobaterium tumefaciens a soil borne bacterium which is known as natural genetic engineer.

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Benefits of GM crop With the increasing global population, massive third world hunger and

death due to both starvation and undernourishment, there is a great promise in the use of G M crops to achieve food and nutritional security. The benefits are

• Crops with enhanced resistance to weeds, insect pest and diseases. • Crops with higher yields to help farmers for efficient use of land. • Foods with better texture, flavour and nutritional value. • Foods with a longer shelf life for easier marketing of produce. • Benefits environment due to less use of pesticides in insect resistant G M

crop cultivation. • Low tillage or no tillage operation in herbicide resistant G M crop that

helps soil conservation. GM crops are cultivated worldwide (ISAAA report, 2016)

Currently, G M crops are being accepted and cultivated worldwide. The founder biotech countries that grow G M crops are USA, Brazil, Argentina, India, Canada, China, Australia and Mexico. In all, 70 countries are either growing or testing or importing G M crops. Total 28 countries are now growing G M food crops. Highest acreage of 70 million hectare is in US. G M crops that are commercialized are soybean, maize, cotton, bean, plum, rice, sugarcane, potato, squash, sweet pepper, tomato, Brassica etc. G M soybean has been modified to have both insect and herbicide resistance while G M cotton is resistant to insect, cotton boll worm. Globally 83% of soybean, 75%

In India, more than 90% of the cultivated cotton varieties are G M , which indicates a wide acceptance of G M crops by the Indian farming community. The country has attained a cotton productivity of more than 500 kg per hectare, which is much higher compared to the productivity of less than 140 kg per hectare in 1947-48. Today, India has become the second largest exporter of cotton. In India, G M crops that are in pipe line are, mustard, chickpea, eggplant, castor, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, tomato, groundnut, papaya, potato, watermelon.

Rank Country Area 2016

1 USA 70.9

2 Brazi l 44 .2

3 Argent ina 24 .5

4 India 11.6

5 Canada 11.0

6 Ch ina 3.7

7 Paraguay 3.6

8 Pak is tan 2.9

9 Sou th Afr ica 2.3

10 Uruguay 1.4

(James, 2015)

GM crops myths and facts Myths

1. Growing G M crops harms the environment. It may effects in ten or twenty years.

2. The genetic engineering of crops is not natural because genes are taken from alien sources.

3. So many resources are being devoted to G M crop research. These resources should instead be directed to organic farming or other ecological practices, because these practices and crops are proven safe.

Global adoption of GM crops

A total of 28 countries have adopted G M crops in 2016 and up to 18 million farmers planted 179.7 million hectares in 2015.

Facts 1. Current agriculture practices, uses pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, which are harmful to the environment and human health. G M crops that are designed will significantly reduce the use of these chemicals. 2. Genetic modification happens natu­rally. Farmers have been crossbreeding plants for centuries, depending on trial-and-error to get the desired results. Biotechnology is a safer, more deliberate way of achieving and replicating the desired results. 3. There is no scientific data that proves organic farming to be safer than any other kind of farming. Nor is there data that proves farming G M crops to be unsafe. Farming biotechnology crops actually requires fewer resources than conventional farming.

G M crops widely cultivated in various countries

GM Crops Countries cultivating Soybean USA, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil Maize USA, Canada, Spain, Argentina Cotton USA, Brazil, Australia, China, India Canola (Mustard) Canada, Australia, USA, Brazil Sugarbeet Canada Papaya USA, China Brinjal Bangladesh

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Should we worry about GMOs ? Most of the concerns raised by the anti-GMO activists are either

unscientific or based on disproving facts. 1. The contamination of products of GMOs with genetic material from

foreign origin. The genetic material across the living organisms is the same except the sequence of the nitrogenous bases. Therefore, a gene from a bacterium is chemically identical with a gene from a plant or a gene from an animal except the differences in the sequence of nitrogenous bases present in the nucleic acid.

2. Receiving genes(s) by a recipient through Genetic Engineering is different from breeding. The classical breeding process that started since the domestication of plants and animals that began almost 10,000 years before, also involved transfer of genetic material of so-called foreign origin. Furthermore, genes of an organism are being modified through the process of mutation breeding since the early 20th century. Therefore, genetic modification of an organism is not a new development. But with the modern biotechnological approach (Recombinant DNA Technology), one can transfer a gene from one organism to another in a more precise way and without facing any crossability barriers.

3. The concern about possible negative impacts offoreign genes on human or animal health. Genes that are being used for the production of GMOs are selected with

thorough characterization at the molecular level and scientists select only those which have no negative effect on animal and human health. For example, the Bt-gene used in production of insect resistant crops encodes toxins that can act in specific insect guts and can't affect the animal or human guts in any circumstance. Furthermore, GMOs and the production process of GMOs are strictly regulated by more than one government bodies in each and every country that allows GMOs to cultivate commercially. In India, for example, the commercial cultivation and release of GMOs are strictly monitored by the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM), and another high level committee, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), is responsible for the final clearance for commercial adaptation of the GMO. The GEAC reviews several aspects of the GMO including its multi-location trial across the country, its Biosafety issues, and efficacy, etc.

A few Statements in support of GMO "The science is quite clear: crop improvement by the modern molecular

techniques of biotechnology is safe. "-American Association for the Advancement of Science

"Bioengineered foods have been consumed for close to 20 years, and 6

during that time, no consequences on human health have been reported and/or substantiated in the peer-reviewed literature. " - American Medical Association

"GMfoods ... have passed risk assessments and are not likely to present risks for human health. In addition, no effects on human health have been shown as a result of the consumption of such foods..." - World Health Organization

"International agencies such as the Food and Agriculture Organization, World Health Organization, the European Commission, the French Academy of Medicine, the American Medical Association, and the American Society of Toxicology have reviewed these health issues and have come to an agreement that GM foods are safe for human health. "- International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications Recent support from Nobel laureates to GM rice (Golden rice)

More than a hundred Nobel laureates have recently (June, 2016) signed a letter urging Greenpeace to end its opposition to genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

"We urge Greenpeace and its supporters to re-examine the experience of farmers and consumers worldwide with crops and foods improved through biotechnology, recognize the findings of authoritative scientific bodies and regulatory agencies, and abandon their campaign against 'GMOs' in general and Golden Rice containing carotene, a precursor of VitA in particular," the letter states.

Conversion of a great environmentalist, Mark Lynas (a former anti-GMO activist) to a supporter of GMOs

In a January 2013 lecture to the Oxford Farming Conference, Lynas detailed his conversion from an organizer of the anti-GMO food movement in Europe to becoming a supporter of the technology. He admitted that he attacked the science of G M - even though he had done no academic research on the topic, and had a pretty limited personal understanding. He apologized for engaging in vandalism of field trials of genetically engineered crops, stating that anti-science, environmentahsm became increasingly inconsistent with his pro-science environmentahsm with regard to climate change. Lynas criticized organizations with which he was previously associated, including Greenpeace and organic trade groups like the U K Soil Association, for ignoring scientific facts about genetically modified crop safety and benefits because it conflicted with their ideologies and stated he "was completely wrong" to oppose GMOs.

Therefore, say Q̂ ES1 to crops for ToodandNutritionalsecurity of India.

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Acknowledgement: - Department of Biotechnology, Government of India - www.pixabay.com (for GM crop photographs)