RECOMMENDATIONS
OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON BT COTTON AND RELATED ISSUES CONSTITUTED BY MINISTRY OF
ENVIRONMENT & FORESTS UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF DR S NAGARAJAN, DIRECTOR
IARI, NEW DELHI.
Interested
Parties/Individuals are invited to give their comments on the recommendation by
31st December 2005.
12th
December 2005
Ministry of Environment
and Forests
New Delhi
The
views/recommendation are solely that of the Sub-Committee and not that of
Ministry of environment and Forests or the Genetic Engineering Approval
Committee.
Recommendations
of the Sub-Committee on Bt cotton and related issues.
1.0 In accordance with the decision taken in the 56th
meeting of the GEAC, MoEF had constituted a Sub-Committee under the chairmanship of Dr. S.
Nagarajan Director IARI to look into the existing processes,
protocols for large scale trials and other related issues to Bt Cotton and give
recommendation for rationalization of the same.
2.0 The
Composition of the Sub-Committee is as follows: -
i. Dr.
S. Nagarajan*, Director, Director IARI, Pusa. N. Delhi. - Chairman
ii. Dr B.M.
Khadi, Director, Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur.
iii. Dr. T.V. Ramanaiah, Director, Department of Biotechnology.
iv. Dr. T. P. Rajendran, ADG, ICAR,
New Delhi.
v. Dr. B.S.
Dhillon, Director NBPGRI. (Scientist
with Background of Bio-Statistics nominated by Chairman).
vi. Dr. S. Srinivasan
Director CIRCOT, Mumbai.(co-opted Member)
vii Dr. Ranjini Warrier,
Member Secretary GEAC. - Member Secretary
*
Presently, Chairman, Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmer’s Rights
Authority
3.0 The Committee has made the following
recommendations in respect of:
a. Number of locations for LST.
1. The number of LST trials from the present requirement of 80
per zone has been optimized as given
below.
Table 1 Number of locations for LST of
hybrid Bt cotton
|
Cotton hybrids* |
Zones**
/Locations*** |
||
|
Southern |
Central |
Northern |
|
|
H x B |
10 |
10 |
- |
|
a x a |
20 |
30 |
15 |
|
H x H |
40 |
60 |
40 |
|
h x a |
10 |
30 |
- |
*H – hirsutum; B – barbadance; h – herbaceum;
a – arborium
** To
be optimally divided between irrigated, rain-fed and suppressive soils (the
trial may also accommodate both normal sown and late sown conditions)
*** The
number of locations has been reduced taking into consideration the area under
cotton cultivation in each zone and type of hybrids grown in the region.
This rationalization and significantly reduced number
of LST will cut down the work load in generating data, time and man power
needed and thus will permit even smaller seed companies reap the benefit of Bt
technology. This will permit more
number of Bt cotton hybrids come for official testing. This reduced expenditure in developing
better Bt cotton hybrids would reduce the cost of Bt cotton seed and may reduce
‘illegal’ Bt cotton growing.
b. Parameters to be monitored during
LST.
1. The LST field data book has been
designed consisting of part A, B & C.
This would substantially simplify collection and analysis of
pest-dynamics information and that of natural enemies of boll worm in part A;
plant morphology and yield related information in part B and fiber/seed oil
quality or industrial application in part C
(Refer Annexure-I)
c. Number of years for LST*.
1. The LST design and information on planting details are given
in yield book. AICCIP recommended
fertilizer dose should be adopted. When
the GEAC cleared Bt gene’ is used in a CVRC released hybrid background to
develop a new Bt cotton hybrid (para 3.15.1)
then one year of LST is enough (Figure 1).
Para 3.15.1 is
reproduced below:-
“New variant
of a safe gene in CVRC released hybrid:
A given Bt gene family can have
number of variants within it and this may not drastically change the
insecticidal protein and altogether alter the manner it controls the target
pest. There are several variants within
generic Cry 1Ac and are designated using subscripts as Cry 1Ac-1; Cry 1Ac-2
etc. This indicates that these are
variants of Cry 1Ac but do not have complete DNA homology, but do have some
base pair differences and hence may have some variation in the protein
system. Such micro variants put
together form the family and they need one year of LST if the Bt variant is in
the background of a CVRC notified hybrid.”
“GEAC
cleared Bt gene in new hybrids:
If the GEAC cleared Bt gene or its
variant is used to develop a Bt cotton hybrid using a non CVRC notified hybrid
as the basis, there all two years of
ICAR trials and one year of LST is needed. It is because the public and research system never had an
opportunity to asses the performance stability of the material and so needs a
two year testing to assess it properly”.
3. When a new variant of the GEAC approved Bt gene, that has
completed biosafety and other related tests and is comparable to the GEAC
cleared Bt gene for the insectical protein properties, and is developed as a Bt
cotton hybrid in a CVRC released background, then one year of LST is adequate
(Figure 1).
4. For all other conditions* two years of LST is recommended,
namely for a altogether new crop hybrid say H x B; a x a; h x a or ‘totally new
gene’ or when a non CVRC approved background is used ( Figure 3).
*This category includes pyramided as
well as fused genes.
Based on the above recommendations, the
period of LST is summarized below:
|
Material |
Bt
gene |
||||
|
|
GEAC cleared Bt gene |
Variant of the GEAC cleared Bt gene |
New Bt gene/not cleared by GEAC |
Pyramided genes |
Fused gene(s) |
|
CVRC approved Hybrid |
One year |
One year |
Two years |
Two years |
Two years |
|
Not put up to CVRC or not approved by
CVRC |
one year |
one year |
Two years |
Two years |
Two years |
* As
per the prevailing practice, for CVRC notified variety/hybrid containing GEAC
approved transgene, one year of LST is necessary; for non-CVRC notified
variety/hybrid containing GEAC approved transgene, one to two years of LST
based on merit of the case and for CVRC and non-CVRC notified varieties
containing new gene including fusion or pyramided two years of LST is
mandatory.
d. The stage at which seed production
should be permitted.
1. The best genotype should be sent to ICAR trial on the basis
of performance in the MLT assessed by MEC/GEAC. Simultaneously the LST and other seed production requirements can
be approved in one go. For seed
production approval of 100 hectares for each case is recommended.
2. For situations when two years of LST/ICAR are essential then
for the first year seed production 10 hectares and during second year LST/ICAR
trial 100 hectares can be given.
e. The stage at which the Bt cotton hybrid
should enter ICAR trials.
1. After the MLT data is evaluated by MEC and recommended to
RCGM/GEAC, the GEAC can permit the performing entry for ICAR/LST/Seed
Production. The number of years of test
in this box will depend where the material falls in the above listed grouping
(Figure 1, 2).
f. Other recommendations
1. Identifying the ‘Designated Officer’ (DO) in the SAU to
monitor the MLT/LST falling in their jurisdiction is suggested. There can be a fee levied for this purpose
to meet out the cost of service extended by the SAU.
2. One copy of all MLT/LST field data
record, properly bound should be submitted to the concerned DO of the SAU by
the agency that tests their produce apart from sending it to the Member
Secretary of the MEC.
4.0 The
recommendations of the sub-committee to the GEAC/MoEF to be operatIonalized
from the time it is adopted.
5.0 Annexure
The following Annexure are
attached:-
Annexure I: - The LST
field data book containing part A, B & C as mentioned in b
above.
Annexure II: Figure 1: Flow Diagram on the recommended Protocol for Released Event/Gene in CVRC notified hybrids/varieties.
Annexure III: Figure-2: Flow Diagram on the recommended Protocol for New
hybrids/variety with released Event/Gene;
Annexure IV: Figure-3: Flow Diagram on the recommended Protocol for (i) CVRC
released hybrid/variety with new gene and (ii) New hybrid /variety with new
gene.
***********
All information provided in italics
has been added as an explanatory note for further clarification: