Commodity Online
After Bt Cotton, it is the turn of Bt Brinjal now. After a successful trial run in several experimental fields, Bt Brinjal is ready for commercial sowing across the country by next year.
Bt Brinjal will be the first edible product in the country to be grown by genetically modified (GM) seeds.
All India Crop Biotechnology Association officials said the Indian Council of Agricultural Research has been sowing GM seeds of Bt Brinjal for the last four years and has found no harm in commercialising it.
This year, ICAR covered between 15 and 18 acres under Bt Brinjal across the country to test the viability of commercialisation before the final approval.
On December 10, 2007, the Supreme Court had refused to stay Mahyco’s (Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company) trials of Bt Brinjal in various parts of the country following a plea from social activists Aruna Rodrigues and P V Satheesh. A committee had given a clearances for the large-scale field trials in August 2007. According to a study by Mahyco, the technology supplier for Bt Brinjal and a strong advocate of genetically-modified agricultural crops, farmers invest about Rs 100 per pesticide spray per acre for anywhere between 40-45 sprays of the 90-day brinjal crop.
By sowing Bt Brinjal, hardly one or two sprays are required against the insect attack.
