Scientists foresee new chapter in farm sector

Bangladesh's farm sector is likely to enter an era of biotechnology, as agricultural scientists are advancing in research to develop genetically modified (GM) varieties of eggplants and potatoes.

Scientists said the move to introduce transgenic eggplant and potato crops is aimed at relieving farmers of insecticides and fungicides, boosting production and enabling consumers to get pesticide-free vegetables.

Eggplants, known as Bt eggplants, are now on trial in seven confined fields at various agriculture research stations. Bt eggplants are in its second year of trial in natural conditions.

Potatoes, termed Rb potatoes, are also on trial in two confined fields, said Dr Md Al-Amin, head of biotechnology at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (Bari).

Prior to putting the crops on trial in confined fields, scientists kept the eggplants and potatoes in greenhouses after transforming the insect-resistant gene-Bacillus Thuringiensis in nine preferred varieties of eggplants and the Rb gene in two varieties of potatoes.

The scientist said the Bt eggplant crops yielded good results in previous field trials, expecting that the insect-resistant Bt eggplant could be given to farmers in the next three years, subject to government approval.

“We got good results in the confined field trials last year and found 85-95 percent infestation-free eggplants,” said Al-Amin.

If Bt eggplant proves safe for human consumption and harmless to the environment, it will be the first GM crop variety in Bangladesh, which now looks to ensure food security for a growing population by practicing modern agriculture technology, said stakeholders.

Environmental activists however opposed the move, arguing that genetically modified brinjals and potatoes will not be safe for human consumption and the environment.

“The way it will be modified leaves a toxic effect in brinjal, which aims at protecting crops from pest attacks. When an insect cannot eat crops, how will it be safe for human consumption,” said Farida Akhter of Nayakrishi Andolon, a platform of farmers who practise ecological agriculture.

“Above all, farmers will lose their right to preserve seeds,” she said, fearing that GM crops may lead to a mono crop culture by damaging the present multi-crop system.

“If crops fail, the farmers will suffer the most,” said Farida, suggesting that policymakers look back at the cases where farmers in India committed suicide after the crops failed.

Scientists however differed with Farida regarding toxicity in the human body.

“By the method we have modified, there is no possibility of toxicity in humans," said Al-Amin.

“It requires a receptor to create a toxic effect on humans. But the human body does not have that receptor. Our findings show that it does not create any health hazard.”

The move to introduce transgenic eggplants and potatoes, with the strength to resist 'fruit and shoot borer' (FSB) in eggplants and 'late blight' in potatoes, has come as farmers suffer from crop losses because of these two destructive diseases.

To avoid such losses, farmers use huge quantities of insecticides in one of the mostly consumed vegetable -- eggplants. It not only creates a risk to consumer health but also forces farmers to spend up to Tk 60,000 a hectare.

Farmers count Tk 26,000 a hectare in fungicides to save potatoes from late blight disease attacks, scientists said.

The initiative to develop GM eggplants and potatoes was taken based on technical collaboration with Cornell University under the Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II, funded by the United States Agency for International Development.

Al-Amin said introduction of these two transgenic vegetables will boost production by preventing crop loss due to diseases. These crops will also relieve farmers of spending thousands of taka on insecticides and fungicides to avoid crop loss.

It will also enable consumers to get pesticide-free potatoes and eggplants, he said.

“Our main goal is to raise production by preventing losses from diseases in eggplants and potatoes. We also aim to minimise health hazards to consumers due to pesticides,” said the scientist.

“We are getting good results in eggplant. We have also found potatoes moderately disease-resistant in trials last year,” he said.

He expects that Bt eggplants could first be placed with the National Technical Committee on Bio-safety for approval next year.

“If we can prove that these transgenic crops are safe for human consumption and get environment clearance, we will be able to reach out seeds to farmers in the next three years,” he said, referring to eggplants.

sohel@thedailystar.net