Terminator seeds will result in genetic pollution

While complimenting P. K. Gupta for his explanation of the terminator technology for seed production (Curr. Sci., 1998, 75, 1319–1323), I wish to draw attention to the ‘behavioural aspects’ of these technologies in the social context. There have to be many top researches and academic feats but not for immediate usage in developing nations, more so, in such an extremely diversified cultural assemblage of human diversity as in India. More than 60 to 80% farmers in UP, Bihar, MP, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh own less than ten acres of land and are very poor. They sow seeds for their own food and if the harvest is poor due to some reason, they do not get the seed. Terminator seeds will help in eradicating small farmers in due course as the seed from the market or farmers will always be mixed up with ‘expiry date seed’. For many reasons the big farmers often do not want the small farmers to work independently.

Scientifically also, as acknowledged by the author, certain NGOs including our own group (Society of Bionaturalists) opine that the use of terminator seeds will result in genetic pollution of traditional varieties by cross-pollinating them. Indian farming is spread on all geographic contours including small fields on open hill tops and in remote forest areas. As we know, wild varieties (species) of all present day crops grow in wild and if by sheer chance the inter-specific or inter-varietal hybridization took place, our germplasm shall be doomed in the near future. According to Greenpeace, Novartis genetically engineered (GE) maize, has cross-pollinated an adjacent field of conventional maize in Germany (Environment, The British Council, Calcutta, 1998). Obviously, genetic contamination cannot be ruled out, which has created hue and cry in Germany.

However, experiments must continue in closed greenhouses as to produce a ‘Switch gene mechanism’ rather than terminator genes. The switch gene has to be a cytoplasmic gene interacting only with ‘alike pollen-egg’ compatibility.

 

H. K. GOSWAMI

Society of Bionaturalists,

Department of Genetics,

Barkatullah University,

Bhopal 462 026, India