3.10 A need was felt, in the current scenario, to upgrade and expand the existing scheme
‘Development and Strengthening of Infrastructure Facilities for Production and Distribution of Quality Seeds’ (DPQS) into a National Mission with a focused, time bound and integrated approach to further improve the availability of quality seeds to the farmers. Hence, it is proposed to launch a Mini-Mission on “Seeds and Planting Material”
under the new Centrally Sponsored Scheme
“National Mission on Agricultural Extension and technology” during twelfth Five Year Plan. the Mission includes seed planning, seed production, varietal replacement, seed infrastructure, quality control, specific interventions for seed PSUs, contingency planning, assistance to private sector, international cooperation, etc.
Farm Inputs and Management 39 Fig. 3.4: Requirement & availability of seeds in India
(Unit Lakh Qtl.)
Source: DAC, Seeds Division
Fig. 3.5: Production and Consumption of Seeds in India
(Unit lakh Qtls.)
Source: Directorate of Economics and Statistics, DAC
110.83 107.08 128.76 180.74 207.28 249.12 290.76 330.41 315.18
132.27 140.51 148.18 194.31 250.35 279.72 321.36 353.62 328.57
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 (upto Dec.,12
Requirement Availability
0.43 0.69 1.05 1.19 1.19
5.91 7.40 10.50 17.53 21.8686.27 126.75 257.11 277.34 283.85
0.01 0.10 1.00 10.00 100.00
2000-01 2005-06 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12
Production of Breader seed Production of Foundation seeds Distribution of certified/quality seeds
40 State of Indian Agriculture
Genetic Modification in Agriculture
3.11 A Genetically Modified crop contains a gene or genes of a different species artificially inserted in its genome when the inserted gene sequence comes from an unrelated plant or from a completely different species, it is also known as transgene and the resulting GM crop as a transgenic crop.
3.12 Conventional plant breeding involves exchange of genes between two plants to produce a hybrid for a desired trait by crosspollination.
GM technology is similar to conventional plant breeding in terms of the objective of generating more useful and productive crop varieties containing new combination of genes, but it expands the possibilities by enabling introduction of useful genes not just from within the crop species or from closely related plants, but from a wide range of other organisms. It allows the transfer of
one or more genes, in a controlled and predictable way than is achievable in conventional breeding.
GM crop plants can therefore incorporate the desired traits more quickly and more reliably than through conventional methods.
3.13 GM crops have been developed to incorporate various traits such as insect pest resistance, herbicide tolerance, disease resistance, altered nutritional profile, enhanced storage life etc. The benefits of their use include increased crop yields, reduction in farm costs and thereby increase in farm profit as well as protection of the environment. Research is focused on a second generation of GM crops that feature increased nutritional and/or industrial traits such as easy processability. these varieties are expected to bring in more direct benefits to consumer such as correction of dietary deficiencies. Figure 3.6 summarizes the potential benefits of various traits incorporated in the GM crops.
Fig. 3.6: Potential benefits of various traits incorporated in the GM crops
Pest resistance
Herbicide resistance
St ( ld/ d ht
Increased nutrition
Plant pharmaceuticals
Traits Potential Benefits
Availability of more crops
Better quality products
Improvement in health
Reduced use of chemicals and herbicides Improved
farming
Cheaper food More
food
3.14 Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and products thereof including GM crops are regulated products in India under the ‘Rules for the Manufacture, Use/Import/Export and Storage of Hazardous Micro organisms/
Genetically Engineered organisms or Cells notified by the Ministry of Environment and Forests vide Notification No. 621 in Official Gazette of Govt. of India on December 5, 1989 under the provisions of the ‘Environment
Farm Inputs and Management 41 (Protection) Act’, 1986. This has been done to
ensure sound application of biotechnology making it possible to accrue benefits arising from modern biotechnology while minimizing the risks to environment and human health.
3.15 These rules and regulations commonly referred to as ‘Rules 1989’ and cover areas of research as well as large scale applications of GMos and its products. these rules and regulations are implemented by Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Department of Biotechnology (DBt) and State Governments. For the development of GM crops at the laboratory stage, confined multi-location trials for generation of biosafety data known as Biosafety Research Trials – I and Biosafety Research Trials-II (BRL-I and BRL-II) require prior approval of the RCGM and the GEAC set up under the Rules, 1989.
the compliance of the regulatory procedures during GM crop field trials is monitored by the Monitoring–cum Evaluation Committee (MEC).
the agronomic performance of the GM crops is also evaluated under the Indian Council of Agriculture & Research (ICAR) testing system.
The GEAC takes into consideration the findings of the biosafety and agronomic studies as well as recommendations of the RCGM, ICAR and MEC before according approval for environmental release. only those transgenic crops which are found to be safe for human consumption as well as the environment are approved for commercial release.thus, release of GM crops and products is the mandate of the Ministry of Environment &
Forests.
3.16 The global area under 25 GM crops in 2011 was 1600 lakh hectares cultivated by 29 countries, thus indicating farmer acceptance globally.
Soybean is the leading GM crop occupying 754 lakh ha, followed by maize (510 lakh ha), cotton (247 lakh ha) and canola (82 lakh ha).
other prominent GM crops occupying less than 1.0 lakh ha area are Potato, sugar beet, alfalfa, papaya, squash, potato, tomato, poplar and sweet pepper. Among top ten countries, USA is leading by occupying 690 lakh ha cultivating eight GM crops (Maize, soybean, cotton, canola, sugar beet, alfalfa, papaya and squash) followed by Brazil (303 lakh ha – Soybean, maize, cotton), Argentina
(237 lakh ha – Soybean, maize, cotton), India (106 lakh ha – Cotton), China (39 lakh ha – Cotton, papaya, poplar, tomato, sweet pepper), Canada (104 lakh ha – Canola, maize, soybean and sugar beet), Paraguay (28 lakh ha – Soybean), Pakistan (26 lakh Cotton), South Africa (23 lakh ha-Maize, soybean, cotton) and Uruguay (13 lakh ha-Soybean, maize).