Bangladeshi scientists have readied the country’s first genetically modified (GM) crop — brinjal (also known as eggplant) infused with pest-resistant genes — that will see a drastic fall in the use of harmful pesticides in the crop.Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (Bari) will apply to the National Technical Committee for Crop Biotechnology on Sunday for its release next month, said officials concerned. Once cleared, the GM crop will go through a bio-safety regulatory process and public consultation before its release, they said.
Of all vegetables produced in the country, brinjal tops the list in terms of pesticide use.
Fruit and shoot borer (FSB), considered the most devastating pest in South and Southeast Asia, ravages brinjal fields and can cause loss of the crop by as much as 70 percent unless a heavy dose of pesticide is used. Farmers are found to apply pesticides of up to 50 times in a cropping season of brinjal against a recommended dose of 25, making the vegetable highly toxic.
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