Pink Bollworm-resistant GM cotton gets green light for field trials in Haryana’s Hisar, India

Within months of approving new field trials for an array of genetically engineered crops including mustard, potatoes and rubber in the country for the first time in 16 years, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) has approved confined field trials for Pink Bollworm-resistant GM cotton in Hisar, Haryana.

The GEAC, India’s biotech regulator, at a meeting on 31 January, gave approval to Bioseed Research India, Hyderabad, to conduct Biosafety Research Level-1 (BRL-1) trial for resistance against Pink Bollworm during the Kharif season at Hisar.

While Bioseed Research India applied to conduct the BRL-I trials at five locations — Janwada (Telangana), Jalna (Maharashtra), Akola (Maharashtra), Junagadh (Gujarat), and Hisar (Haryana) — it has so far only received a no objection certificate from the Haryana government.

The BRL-1 trials are confined experiments where sowing is limited to one acre of land for each trial location. Researchers cannot sow the seeds in more than a cumulative of 20 acres at a time at this stage.

What is Pink Bollworm

According to the minutes of the meeting published Thursday, the genetically modified cotton expresses Cry2Ai gene for resistance against Pink Bollworm.

The Pink Bollworm or Pectinophora gossypiella is a pest that feeds on the reproductive parts of cotton plants, where the fibers are produced. It is considered to be one of the most destructive pests of cotton worldwide and is a major problem for the cotton industry in India.

The Pink Bollworm larvae feed on the seeds and fibers within the cotton bolls, which reduces the yield and quality of the cotton. To combat this pest, the GEAC had in 2002 approved the use of another genetically modified variety of cotton, the BT cotton.

This variety carries a gene Cry2Ai, taken from the bacterium Bacillus Thuringiensis, which helps the plant produce a protein that is toxic to the Pink Bollworm.

However, by 2009, the Pink Bollworm began to develop resistance to the protein, warranting the need for continued research in the field of GM cotton.

The Cry2ai gene, introduced in the new variety, is also derived from the bacterium Bacillus Thuringiensis and makes the cotton pest resistant.

However, there are differences between the two genes and the proteins they produce. Cry1Ac primarily targets lepidopteran insects (moths and butterflies), while Cry2Ai targets a broader range of insects, including some coleopteran (beetle) and dipteran (fly) species.

During the field trials, the researchers will be evaluating different parameters of the crop, including assessing damages from Pink Bollworm infestation, seed cotton yield, along with safety of the crop from mice and rabbits.

The team will also study the impact of the crop on soil microrganisms and fauna and assess if the crop has any impact on other unrelated organisms in the ecosystem.