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BIOTECHNOLOGY
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Biotechnology defended
The Bt cotton, first transgenic non-food crop, is designed to
protect crops from pests and cut the spray costs. It contains
a strand of genetic material from the
naturally occurring soil micro-organism Bacillus thuringiensis
(Bt) , and is being successfully grown since 1996 in the US,
Australia, China, India and
elsewhere.
Before the Bt technology, farmers could only combat pests like
the bollworm known as "sundi" with pesticides. The Bt provides
100 per cent control of
sundies, while supplemental foliar insecticide sprays are
occasionally required to keep away the sucking pests like
jassid, white fly, etc.
It is worth knowing that no Bt cotton seed developer has ever
claimed that it would also control sucking pests. Therefore,
it is wrong to say that the Bt
cotton's cultivation of non-approved varieties in Sindh is not
providing protection against jassid and leaf curl virus (CLCV)
disease which cause huge
damages in cotton fields.
Currently, a systematic propaganda is being carried out to
create ambiguity through misleading information about the Bt
seed technology. In past few years,
the average number of bollworm treatments applied to the Bt
fields in Australia, India, China, the US ranged from 0.27 to
1.22 treatments per field, lower
than 5 to 16 sprays applied to control bollworm/tobacco
budworm on the non-Bt fields.
Despite strong resistance, none cannot deny the reality about
its success and growth around the world. The safety of plant
biotechnology is evident from the
fact that there isn't any documented case of illness caused by
foods developed with the biotechnology since mid-1990s.
An EC report concludes that the use of more precise technology
and greater regulatory scrutiny (over biotech foods) probably
make them safer than
conventional plants and foods".
Today more than 3.6 billion people around the world are
directly or indirectly consuming the genetically modified (GM)
food. It is worth knowing that there is
no GMO or the Bt in refined edible oil from any Bt crops and
these crops are as safe as the non Bt. That was why the EU in
May 2004 lifted the five-year ban
on the GM food.
In March 2004, the UK also approved commercial plantation of
the GM crops. Tests showed that these crops could be more
beneficial to wildlife when
compared with the conventional.
According to the economic review there were few short-term
benefits for the UK in pursuing the technology but there could
be long-term benefits for farmers
and consumers from crops that were better suited to British
climate and which had boosted the nutrients.
The science review has said that the risks to human health
from the GM were very low. Similarly, nowadays trials of the
genetically modified crops are
underway throughout Germany.
The cotton crop in Sindh and South Punjab districts was
attacked by the CLCV. One cannot blame it on the Bt
technology; varieties susceptible to the CLCV
will be infected regardless of other traits (e.g., Bacillus
thuringiensis (Bt)) incorporated.
Under the Seed Act 1976 and Plant Quarantine Rules 1967 no one
is allowed to cultivate the imported Bt, conventional or
hybrid cotton seeds or plants
without an approval. Those having information about such an
activity should report it to concerned agency.
A mafia is exploiting the demand for such technology amongst
farmers despite the propaganda. This is a clear indication of
the farmers' confidence in the
technology, therefore, the government of Pakistan should
understand the farmers' aspirations and approve the Biosafety
guidelines or else the technology
will get a bad name due to its pirated version being illegally
presented by the unscrupulous traders.
According to The Times of India (2 July, 04): "Cultivation of
the BT cotton is expected to increase 10 times this year with
more farmers preferring the
varieties. This cotton not only increases the yield but also
avoids use of pesticides.
It is popular because it provides results within 45 to 90 days
compared to normal seeds which take around 120 days. There are
farmers preferring the BT
cotton to increase the yield.
Out of 17 lakh hectares, the BT cotton is used in nearly one
lakh acre". Similarly, according to The Hindu Business Line
(June 2004) "This year higher cotton
crop size is largely due to an increase in sowing of the Bt
cotton seeds".
It is a fact that performance of the Bt cotton is dependent on
agro climatic conditions, genotype of the hybrids and
management of crop. In some areas,
certain Bt varieties may be inappropriate for local growing
conditions and may fail to produce satisfactory yields.
For example under high night temperatures and under hot dry
conditions, bolls may drop off the plants; some farmers in
India reported that bolls set
erratically or in irregular patterns.
That's why approved varieties of the Bt cotton tested in
different agro-climatic conditions must be cultivated. One
should refrain from sowing the "non
approved" variety. It is important to know that so far most
attempts of introducing non- approved Bt cotton have failed to
deliver the desired results. Main
reason behind this is the selection of wrong variety of cotton
seeds which may be not fit under local environments.
In short biotech products are being used for human consumption
all over the world. Most industrialized countries and many
developing countries have
native biotechnology crop research and development programmes
like the NIBGE in Pakistan.
There are currently no globally-accepted biotech standards or
guidelines for the evaluation of safety of such products.
Therefore, in the absence of broadly
accepted standards, most of the countries have adopted their
own regulations.
Development of bio-safety standards and procedures by many
countries have helped traders, growers and manufacturers,
while preventing foreign firms
from entering into markets unlawfully.
Rather than blaming, we must understand the promises this
technology holds by acting moderately. It is a fact that the
increasing use of the Bt Cotton around
the world substantiates that it has more advantages than
disadvantages.
Courtesy: The
DAWN
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Pakissan.com;
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