After mustard, India is set to begin trials of two more genetically modified (GM) food crops — bananas and potatoes — possibly ushering in a new era of biotech-enhanced farming.

Over the past couple of months, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) — the central government panel that monitors and permits GM activity — has given the go-ahead for field trials of several GM crops, also including rubber and newer varieties of cotton.

In India, the potato is one of the most important crops, and late blight is a major concern for potato growers. According to a report by ICAR, late blight can cause losses of up to 50 per cent in potato yield.

To work around this, the team has developed a new variety of potato that expresses a gene known as the RB gene. Taken from the wild potato species Solanum bulbocastanum, this gene makes the plant resistant to late blight.

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“GM technology is the best way to enhance the properties of bananas. We can only rely on biotechnological advances to improve the traits of bananas,” [researcher Siddharth] Tiwari told ThePrint.

For Tiwari’s team, the fight is not against any disease in the crop. Rather, they want to tackle anaemia and Vitamin A deficiency through a ubiquitous and affordable food source.

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