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FBAE recommends for approval of Bt Brinjal, submits 21 point recommendation to Union government
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Saturday, 30 January, 2010, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Bangalore
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Bangalore-based Foundation for Biotechnology Awareness and Education (FBAE) has stated that it strongly recommend the approval of Bt Brinjal for commercial cultivation. In this regard it has submitted a 21 point recommendation to ensure the vegetable gets favourable nod from the Union government.
In a communiqué to the Union government, the Foundation stated that there is need to control insect of brinjal that cause shoot and vegetable damage resulting in yield losses of 50 to 70 per cent annually. No variety or hybrid brinjal is resistant to the pests.
According C Kameswara Rao, executive secretary, Foundation for Biotechnology Awareness and Education, a farmer has to make an annual investment of Rs. 6,000 for pesticides to cultivate conventional brinjal. In the case of Bt brinjal it will be only a one time investment on the seeds.
The Cry1Ac gene in Bt Brinjal imparts an inbuilt systemic tolerance of about 95 percent to the important pests, Leucinodes orbonalis and Helicoverpa armigera. Bt Brinjal helps in educing the cultivation expenses on the use of synthetic pesticides up to 77 percent. This will befit farmers by enhancing the yiled. Two expert committees reviewed the biosafety dossier. The expert committee which concluded on October 8, 2009, that the bt brinjal was tested for its bio safety and no additional studies were required. Hover the last 25 years, with over 13 years of experience in commercial cultivation, of over 25 countires, US has been consuming genetically engineered food proving that Bt crops are effective and safe for consumption, said Rao.
Bt Brinjal has passed through extensive agronomic and bio security evaluation according to the provisions of the Inain Regulatory regime of 2008-09. This process has involved over 200 scientists and experts from over 15 public and private sector.
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