Govind Gujar: entomologist's journey to understand the Society we live in

  28 October  2022                           Photo:  Mustard crop at ICAR-DRMR Bharatpur Genetically modified [GM] mustard was developed about two decades ago to exploit its heterosis vigour potential by Prof Deepak Pental and his associates, as conventional methods of hybrid development are tedious, time consuming and imprecise.  Just few days back, Australia approved this technology for commercialization. It  is now approved by the Government of India vide the minutes of GEAC’s 147 th meeting held on 18.10. 2022. This GM technology involves expression of a barnase  gene derived from the soil microbe that causes male sterility in the flowers. In order to maintain the same genotype, barstar  gene restores its fertility, thus perpetuating an elite female flower bearing parent. When GM plants with only female flowers are grown side by side with non-GM plants bearing flowers with both male as well as female parts, these are fertilised with pollens of plants with normal flowers with the

                                  Photo: Pesticide solution in preparation                                        Photo: drone spraying at Padegaon in Maharashtra A case study for herbicides in sugarcane Combination pesticide products, mixture of two or more or premix are used for control of pests similar to their components individually. These are supposed to have a broader range of biological activity and are more effective against the pests that have evolved or are likely to evolve resistance to one of components of the mixture. Furthermore, they help in economising cost of application as a single application is good enough rather than spraying two pesticides separately. As far as their ecotoxicity is concerned, these are as safe to the environment as they are used in the comparable doses as their approved components. In view of these merits, the regulatory agencies approve such products. Indirectly, this discourages tank mixture that the farmers do on their own. The latter may al