Context: The government is considering the import of genetically modified (GM) corn (maize) from the U.S. at a lower import duty to bridge the supply deficit owing to rising consumption of poultry feed in the country.
About Genetically Modified (GM) Crops:
- Genetically Modified (GM) Crops are genetically engineered crops that undergo gene alteration and modification.
- GM crops may include:
- Transgenic Crops: Type of GM crop where genes from a different species are introduced into the plant. E.g., BT Cotton (Bt cotton is a genetically modified variety of cotton that contains genes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis)
- Cisgenic Crops: Another type of GM crop where the introduced genes come from the same species or a closely related one. E.g., Blight resistant Potato (The potato has been genetically modified by introducing resistance genes from wild relatives of the cultivated potato).
- Subgenic (Intragenic) Crops: This involves modifying or editing the genes within the same species without introducing foreign DNA.
- Techniques like CRISPR-Cas9 can be used to remove faulty genes or make small changes to the plant's own DNA to achieve desired traits, such as improved yield or stress tolerance.
Benefits of GM crops:
- Genetic modification is done to confer a particular trait to the plant with one of the following properties:
- Increased yield of a crop
- Increased nutritional content of a crop
- Developing resistance to:
- Abiotic stresses like temperature, salinity or herbicide-resistant
- Biotic stresses like insect-resistant crops.
- BT cotton is the only genetically modified crop that is commercially allowed in India from 2002.
Regulations related to GM Crops:
- Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and the products thereof are regulated under the “Rules for the Manufacture, Use, Import, Export and Storage of Hazardous Microorganisms/Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells, 1989” under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
- GM crops are subjected to stringent “environmental release” regulations in India, not just for commercial cultivation but even for field trials and seed production. Such release requires clearance from the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Genetically modified (GM) Corn:
- Genetically modified (GM) corn or BT corn has been genetically engineered to have desirable traits like resistance to pests or herbicides.
- BT corn is a transgenic species that has a gene from soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis.
- The bacterium produces proteins that are toxic to certain insect pests but not to humans, pets, livestock, or other animals.
- These proteins bind to the gut wall of susceptible insects, causing them to stop feeding and die from septicemia within hours.
- Bt corn can reduce the need for spraying insecticides while still preventing insect damage.