NEW DELHI: Do you think only ‘Monsanto’ (or any multi-national seed company) has the capacity to develop transgenic crops? The answer is a clear ‘no’. Indian scientists, working with public sector research institutions and universities, too have developed many genetically engineered varieties which, in fact, could not move beyond lab or ‘restricted’ trials.
The list accessed by the TOI shows that Indian scientists have over the years developed more than 200 genetically modified (GM) varieties of as many as 15 crops including cotton, brinjal, castor, groundnut, mustard, papaya, potato, rice, rubber, sugarcane, wheat and tomato.
These varieties, developed by scientists in different Indian universities and research institutions, have all the traits — resistance to insect, fungal, drought and virus — which may bring them in the league of Bt cotton by increasing productivity and export earnings.
Read the full, original story here: “Scientists develop 200 GM crops, await govt nod for trials”
