Special Article

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GREEN BIOTECHNOLOGY
Introduction
According to FAO report, close to 800 million people worldwide suffer from hunger. The situation can worsen
when world population will reach 8.1 billion by 2030. Climate change and Global warming has not only
reduced crop yield and nutrient content ( IPCC 4th assessment report), but also the increased frequency of
climatic extremes have impacted agriculture severely, more so in developing countries.

In this backdrop, Green Biotechnology (Biotechnology in Agriculture) promises a significant improvement in

Global food situation, while reducing the sector's ecological footprint.

What is Green Biotechnology

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Green biotechnology is defined as the application of biological techniques to plants with the aim of improving
the nutritional quality, quantity and production economics. It is done by implanting foreign genes to plant
species that is economically important. This contains three main areas: plant tissue culture; plant genetic
engineering and plant molecular marker assisted breeding.

Aim of Green Biotechnology

There are 3 major techniques:
1.

Plant tissue Culture

Plant tissue culture deals with producing whole plant from minute plant parts.

Notes

Usage:

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To conserve rare or endangered plant species.

To cross distantly related species by fusion and regeneration of the novel hybrid.

2.

Plant Molecular Marker Assisted Breeding

Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) is an indirect selection process where a trait of interest ( e.g. productivity,
disease resistance, etc.) is selected, not based on the trait itself, but on a marker linked to it. Example:
drought tolerant Maize.

Pathogen resistant Krivanek's tomatoes

One of the major constraints in tomato cultivation and production are severe harvest losses caused by a
number of pathogens.

Molecular markers are now being widely used for breeding tomato. More than 40 genes that confer
resistance to major classes of tomato.

2.

Plant Genetic Engineering/ Genetically Modified crops

Genetic engineering is a new type of genetic modification. It is the purposeful addition of a foreign gene
or genes to the genome of an organism, introducing a new trait to the plant,which would not have naturally
acquired. Example: Bt-Cotton develops resistance to certain pests.

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Benefits of genetic engineering:

Biotechnology has helped to increase crop productivity by introducing such qualities as disease resistance
and increased drought tolerance to the crops.

b)

Farmers use crop-protection technologies because they provide cost-effective solutions to pest problems
which, if left uncontrolled, would severely lower yields.

c)

Biotechnology has allowed new options for improving the nutritional value, flavor, and texture of foods.

Notes

a)

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d)

Biotechnology can result in improved keeping properties to make transport of fresh produce easier, giving
consumers access to nutritionally valuable whole foods and preventing decay, damage, and loss of nutrients.

e)

Due to reduced use of pesticide, less pesticide residues is present on foods thus minimize farm worker
exposure to hazardous products.

Some facts related to it

Farmers have widely adopted GM technology. Between 1996 and 2013, the total surface area of land
cultivated with GM crops increased by a factor of 100, from 17,000 km2 to 1,750,000 km2.

10% of the world's arable land was planted with GM crops in 2010.

In the US, by 2014, 94% of the planted area of soybeans, 96% of cotton and 93% of corn were
genetically modified varieties.

In Developing countries also about 18 million farmers growing 54% of worldwide GM crops by 2013.

Performance evaluation

A 2014 meta-analysis concluded that GM technology adoption had reduced chemical pesticide use by
37%, increased crop yields by 22%, and increased farmer profits by 68%.Yield and profit gains are higher
in developing countries than in developed countries.

However this reduction in pesticide use has been ecologically beneficial, but benefits may be reduced by
overuse.

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Initiatives for Social development

Ginger Cultivation: A project on livelihood promotion of tribal communities in Kandhamal District,

Orissa by using biotechnology.

Black Pepper: Scientific organic cultivation of pepper through efficient use of bio-control agents and biopesticides was propagated among the Tribal and Rural farmers of Idukki District, Kerala.

A project on promoting the use of invasive species, as an important bio-resource, to enhance livelihood
of forest dwelling tribal communities was implemented by Atree Foundation, Bangalore.

Women farmers were trained in hybrid maize seed production covering parental line sowing methods,
crossing, harvesting F1 seeds, processing and marketing.

INDIA & GM Crops

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With a billion-plus mouths to feed, and counting, crop biotechnology has to be a natural winner in priority
terms for a country like India, especially in the era of climate change, degradation of farmlands, increased soil
salinity, due to drop in groundwater as well as pollution of surface water sources, more frequent droughts and
so on. But many issues have arisen due to it.
Administrative Set up: In India, application of biotechnology in agriculture is being dealt with by three
different Ministries/Departments: (1) Ministry of Agriculture; (2) Ministry of Environment and Forests;
and (3) Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology.

Regulation: Under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the Ministry of Environment and Forests has
notified the Rules for the Manufacture, Use, Import, Export and Storage of Hazardous Micro Organisms/
Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells, 1989, or in short, the Rules, 1989.(Includes research as well
as application of GMO).

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Thrust has also been on forestry, horticulture and plantation crops, fruits & vegetables including application
of tissue culture for regeneration of high quality economically important plant species, their field
demonstration, and validation of proven technology.

Major ongoing programmes of GoI in Agi-Biotechnology:

Wheat Genome Sequencing Programme

Rice Functional Genomics

Crop Biofortification and quality improvement programme

National Plant Gene Repository at NIPGR, New Delhi

Next Generation Challenge Programme on Chickpea Genomics,

Network project - From QTL to Variety- Marker Assisted Breeding of Rice with Major QTLs for Drought,
Flooding and Salt Tolerance,

Bt-Cotton

In 2002, Bt Cotton became the first and only transgenic crop approved by the GEAC for commercial
cultivation in six States.

Though the public opinion has been divided on this issue, the Government has indicated satisfactory
performance of the Bt Cotton. As per the Government figures, the area under Bt Cotton has increased
from 0.70 lakh acres in Kharif- 2002 to 2.30 lakh acres in Kharif-2003 and further increased to 12.00 lakh
acres in Kharif-2004.

Currently, India has the world's fourth largest GM crop acreage on the strength of Bt cotton, the only
genetically modified crop allowed in the country.

Concerns/criticism

It has been argued that Bt Cotton cultivation has resulted in adverse economics for farmers, highly priced
seeds(monopolization by MONSANTO), changed pest ecology in cotton fields, increased incidence of
diseases (requiring more pesticides to control these), unpredictable crop performance and more resources
being used by farmers as part of their risk insurance mechanisms (use of more irrigation, fertilizers, etc.).
Stress tolerance of the Bt Cotton, such as surviving adverse weather conditions, has been said to be very
low. The problems have intensified in the back drop of frequent droughts in India.

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Bt- Cotton & Farmer Suicide in India (Berkeley study)

86000 suicides between 2001 to 2010.(Mostly in rained cotton cultivation areas).

Main factors:
a)

Terminator seeds: i.e seeds cannot be reused, forcing farmer to buy every year.

b)

Input Intensive: Requires more water and fertilizer.(Lack of formal credit system indents farmer
.This causes significant economic stress, especially in cases of crop failure).

GM in Food Crop
Non-food Bt Crops were introduced with relatively lesser resistance but Food crops have faced stiff
resistance around the world. Thus, globally the countries are divided in the use of GM Crops. However,

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with increased awareness on environmental and health risks associated with such crops, more resistance
and restrictions have been seen. In India two Bt crops were proposed to be introduced but faced resistance.

Bt-Brinjal:

In October 2009, the Indian biotechnology regulator, Genetic Engineering Approval ( 30-member committee
comprising mainly bureaucrats and scientists), gave its approval for introduction of Bt brinjal, the first
genetically modified food crop to be allowed in India.

However due to strong protest by Environment and health activists ,Supreme Court recommended a 10year moratorium on field trials of all genetically modified (GM) food crops and a complete ban on field
trials of transgenics in crops which originate in India. The result was that the government imposed a
moratorium on field trials of BtBrinjal in 2010.

Bt-Mustard
Genetic Engineering Approval Committee recently putting on hold the discussion on commercial use of
genetically modified mustard. GM mustard is the first food crop to have applied for commercialization
after the indefinite ban on the GM brinjal.

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Standing Committee Report on Cultivation of Genetically Modified Food Crops, 2012

A major finding of the report was that the regulatory framework for GM crops has several shortcomings.
It also noted that the current framework does not provide for mandatory consultations with state
governments or seek their permission to conduct open field trials .

The Committee recommended that the regulatory framework be given statutory backing so that there is
no scope for ambiguity.

Speedy evaluation of reports on GM crops by an agency other than the GEAC, such as the Council of
Scientific and Industrial Research.

Committee urged the use of anti-biotic resistant marker free technology during the development of
GMOs.

India being a signatory to Nagoya- Kuala Lumpur supplementary protocol(Rules on liability and redress
for damage to biodiversity resulting from LMOs),legislation relating to liability and redress for damage
from LMOs should be enacted.

The Committee urged the government to adopt the recommendations of the IAASTD Report, that
although modern biotechnologies have proved advantageous when they have been used in containment,
their efficacy, safety and sustainability is yet to be proven when used outside containment, such as in GM
crops.

The Committee recommended that the government issue regulations for labelling of GM products including
food crops and processed food so that consumers are able to make informed choices.

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Biotechnology and DNA sequencing

DNA sequencing is any process used to map out the sequence of the nucleotides that comprise a strand of
DNA. Each cell in an organism contains the genetic code for the entire organism.

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The process of DNA sequencing transforms the DNA from a given organism into a format that can be used
by researchers for the basic study of biologic processes, medical research, and in forensics.

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There are several methods that can be used in DNA sequencing. The first methods were developed in the
1970s, and are very laborious and time consuming. The most popular and common sequencing reaction used
today is di-de-oxynucleotide sequencing, which can be done by hand or by machines, depending on the
quantity of material to be sequenced. The amount of genetic material in an organism varies considerably and
is measured by the number of nucleotide bases it contains.
It helps in identification of genes of crop and facilitates improvement of crop which can have high yields, pest
tolerance, etc.
A group of 300 scientists from across the world, including India, have sequenced the genome of tomato. The
achievement is expected to lower the costs and speed up efforts to improve tomato production, making it better
equipped to combat pests and pathogens, and to tolerate droughts. Tomato belongs to a family of vegetables called
'Solanaceae,' which have a lot of global importance as they serve as sources of food, spices, medicines and ornamentals.
The other members include potato, pepper and brinjal.

From India, scientists from the National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), the National Research Centre
on Plant Biotechnology under the Indian Agricultural Research Institute and the Delhi University's South Campus
participated in the programme.

Biotechnology & Animal Husbandry

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The 'Tomato Genome Consortium' was established in 2003 in the U.S. Its members were drawn from the U.S., the
U.K., China, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, the Netherlands, South Korea, Israel, Spain, Argentina, and Belgium.

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Animal biotechnology is the use of science and engineering to modify living organisms. The goal is to make
products, to improve animals and to develop microorganisms for specific agricultural uses.
e.g.

Creating transgenic animals (animals with one or more genes introduced by human intervention),

Using gene knock out technology to make animals with a specific inactivated gene and producing nearly
identical animals by cloning.

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Different examples are:

A. Transgenic Animals: A transgenic animal is one whose genome has been altered by the transfer of a gene
or genes from another species or breed.
Benefits:

Used in the laboratory as models in biomedical research.

Transgenic farm animals are also being explored as a means to produce large quantities of complex human
proteins for the treatment of human disease.

A cheaper option would be to develop a means to produce recombinant proteins in the milk, blood or
eggs of transgenic animals.

B.

Cloning

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Scientists use reproductive cloning techniques to produce multiple copies of mammals that are nearly identical
copies of other animals, including transgenic animals, genetically superior animals and animals that produce
high quantities of milk or have some other desirable trait. To date, cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, horses, mules, cats,
rats and mice have been cloned, beginning with the first cloned animal, a sheep named Dolly, in 1996.

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C.

Artificial Insemination

A project on dissemination and use of biotechnology tools in livestock for sustainability development for the
families in desert areas of Rajasthan was implemented by BAIF Research Foundation, Pune.
Concerns
Potential health effects to humans from food products created by transgenic or cloned animals.

The potential effects on the environment due to alteration of the ecologic balance regarding feed sources
and predators.

The introduction of transgenic animals that alter the health of existing animal populations and the
disruption of reproduction patterns and their success.

Animal biotechnology is unnatural. Its processes, they say, go against nature and, in some cases, cross
natural species boundaries.

Animal welfare: For example, calves and lambs produced through in vitro fertilization or cloning tend to
have higher birth weights and longer gestation periods, which leads to difficult births that often require
cesarean sections.

Religious issues: These technologies are considered blasphemous. In effect, God has created a perfect,
natural order, they say, and it is sinful to try to improve that order by manipulating the basic ingredient
of all life.

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What can be done?

Before animal biotechnology will be used widely by animal agriculture production systems, additional
research will be needed to determine if the benefits of animal biotechnology outweigh these potential
risks.

Labeling: Whether products generated from genetically engineered animals should be labeled.

Benefits of Animal Biotechnology

Increased growth rates, enhanced lean muscle mass, enhanced resistance to disease or improved use of
dietary phosphorous to lessen the environmental impacts of animal manure.

Transgenic poultry, swine, goats and cattle that generate large quantities of human proteins in eggs, milk,
blood or urine also have been produced.

Use of animal organs in humans.

Hormone injected into dairy cows, increasing their milk production by 10 to 15 per cent.

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Conclusion

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The advantages of biotechnology can be optimized only when the farmers, the end-users of agricultural
biotechnology, are able to make informed decisions. As Scientific community stands divided on the benefits
and issues related to use of Biotechnology in Agriculture, Applications must be limited to nonfood areas only.
Meanwhile a strong regulatory mechanism and safety assessment system be put in place to address the
concerns of all stakeholders.

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