The Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11 (DMH-11) or Genetically Modified Mustard's yield does not give better yields than currently available non-GM varieties and hybrids and during trials, it was compared with weaker and older hybrids, claimed the Coalition for GM-Free India and an ex-scientist from Bhabha Atomic Research centre on Thursday. The GM Mustard crop, developed by former Delhi Universitry vice-chancellor Deepak Pental, has been developed with National Dairy Development Board funding. Pental has refuted the allegations made on Thursday.
The GM Mustard crop has also reached the Centre to seek permission for comemrcial cultivation, but clearance has been deferred as the environment ministry has asked for more bio-safety data on the crop. It has been claimed that the DMH-11 or GM Mustard increases yield by nearly 25 to 30 per cent. But according to Sharad Pawar, a former consultant working with the NDDB and an ex-scientist working with eh Bhabha Atomic Research Centre said on Thursday that non-GM varieties such as NRCHB-506, Coral-437 and DMH-1 are equally good, have been commercialized and are cost effective too.
Pawar has even written a letter to union environment minister Prakash Javadekar on this issue. In the letter, Pawar says that the comparisons of GM Mustard yield was not done with crops approved by the Indian Council For Agricultural Research and other concerned authorities. "I learnt that comparison has been shown with weaker varieties which provide the impression that transgenic hybrid is a better performer."
According to data provided by Coalition for GM Free India and Sharad Pawar that they claimed to be official, the comparison of GM Mustard yield between 2009 and 2014 in the zonal checks was done with varieties that were discontinued as per protocol.
Responding to these allegations, Deepak Pental told dna, "These allegations are baseless and are plain mischief. Has ICAR said that the tests and checks were incorrect? All these checks on yields were done under ICAR approval."
