No plans to commercialise GM plants, says Rubber Board

Kottayam, Dec. 7

In reply to the apprehensions about Genetically Modified (GM) Rubber, the Rubber Board issued following clarifications for information of the rubber growing community and the general public:

There is no proposal at present by the Rubber Board to cultivate GM rubber plants on a commercial basis anywhere in Kerala or any other States. The Rubber Research Institute of India under Rubber Board has developed GM rubber plants which over-express an enzyme called MnSOD which is expected to give rubber plants the capacity to overcome effects of global warming and climate change, especially prolonged drought and tapping panel dryness (TPD) or “Pattamarappu”. The laboratory studies conducted so far are encouraging; however field trials should be conducted to validate the laboratory findings.

In order to conduct field trials with any GM plant, the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India should give prior clearance. This clearance is given by GEAC after thoroughly scrutinizing all biosafety aspects of the proposal. RRII had sent a request to GEAC through the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India in March with a proposal for permission for limited scale field trials in Kerala and Maharashtra (in 0.4 ha area). It is now understood from the website of GEAC that our proposal has been cleared. Once we receive a formal communication from GEAC, Rubber Board will be approaching the State governments of Kerala and Maharashtra requesting their consent for conducting field trials in these states. If there is any objection from the states, Rubber Board has no intention of proceeding with the field trials.

The MnSOD gene is sourced from rubber itself and not from any other species as usually done in the case of GM plants.

Since the product of these genes imparts agronomically useful traits to rubber plants, we have successfully put additional copies of this gene into our GM rubber plants.

MnSOD gene construct that has gone into our GM plants has CaMV 35S promoter (from virus) and npt II Kanamycin resistance and GUS reporter genes from bacteria (E. coli).

Both CaMV 35S and npt II genes are extensively used in numerous GM plants, including edible crops that are commercially cultivated in many countries and no adverse effects have been reported so far. These genes are also present in the Bt cotton that is widely cultivated in India.

Precautionary measures

Rubber growing countries such as China, Indonesia and Malaysia have ambitious research programmes on genetic transformation of rubber plants and they have made considerable progress. Every country in the world needs natural rubber (NR) which is a vital and strategic industrial raw material such as iron and coal.

Studies show that domestic requirement for natural rubber will increase as our GDP increases and indications are that there will not be enough NR to meet the rising domestic demand.

The alternative would be to import NR from abroad or depend more on synthetic rubbers which are produced from petroleum stocks. Both these options are expensive as well detrimental to the interests of rubber growers in India.

To increase productivity and supply of NR to meet its growing demand in the country, judicial exploitation of modern science and technology is required. TPD and climatic extremes reduce productivity of existing rubber plantations in the traditional regions.

Extension of NR cultivation to non-traditional areas such as the North Konkan or North East India is hampered by adverse agro-climatic conditions. GM approach, along with conventional breeding and selection is essential to tackle these challenges.

There is no doubt that every mandatory safety precaution will be followed in any field trial with GM rubber plants. Rubber Board has always stood with the rubber growers and there will not be any action from the part of the Board that will be detrimental to the interests of the rubber growers of the country or the general public. If there is any objection from any corner, Rubber Board is duty bound to consider them seriously. There is no question of the Rubber Board proceeding with any field trial within Kerala without getting clearance from the Kerala Government.

(Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/12/08/stories/2010120853141800.htm)