IN what may be termed as a shocking revelation by Environment  Protection Agency, nine varieties of BT cotton seeds approved by the National Bio-Safety Committee on ‘special requests’ of the then ministry of agriculture lacked ‘up to the mark gene expression.’

And Professor Dr Iftikhar A Khan of the Agriculture University, Faisalabad, saw these approvals as “connivance between the politicians and the scientists that can spell disaster for the cotton crop and the seed industry. It is an unpardonable sin on the part of scientists to succumb to that kind of pressure and grant approval.

Problem is that scientists themselves have become businessmen and some businessmen are working under the garb of scientists. Their overlapping short-tern fiscal gains can literally ruin the sector.

This kind of behaviour cannot, and should not, be accepted. The farmers’ bodies must expose suchpractices because all this is being done at the cost of farms and farming, which form their livelihood and economic lifeline for the country.”

What makes such pre-mature approval particularly lethal for the cotton crop is the fact that it involves biological organisms, which, once released, cannot be retrieved as they become part of the atmosphere and the crop cycle. The government needs to investigate the matter and fix the responsibility for the entire fiasco.

Such seeds, which do not have required toxin level, can affect the crop in two ways: failing to provide protection during the entire crop life and help pest develop resistance quickly and defeat the purpose of BT regime.

The Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) seed has an inbuilt mechanism that produces a particular protein which kills a certain variety of pests.

A weaker gene would obviously loose vigour with the passage of time during the crop’s life and make it vulnerable to the pest, especially towards its tail-end.

In that situation, the farmers would either have to apply pesticides or risk losing the crop — defeating the very purpose of the Bacillus thuringiensis regime.

Most farmers in Punjab now do not spray on their cotton crops because sellers of the seed tell them to do so.

This takes us to the second part of the problem, which is; help develop resistance in the pest. If the gene is weaker, as allegedly is the case with the nine varieties, the weaker gene would not continuously produce the required amount of protein.

With lower level of protein, it will be easier for the pest to develop re-sistance against that particular protein. Once it happens, the entire BT regime, as prematurely released by National Bio-Safety Committee, would be defeated.

What makes the matter more threatening is the fact that this resistance would be specific against the BT protein. The basic benefit of the BT re-gime is longevity of technology and its regular upgradation by the seed manufacturers.

The revelation by the EPA has made all nine BT seeds a suspect and created many questions about the working of the ministries of food and agriculture and climate change. Now it is for the government to determine the truth the revelation contains.

How the then ministry for food and agriculture was able to influence the process? Why and how scientists succumbed to the pressure?

The governments, both the federal and the provincial, need to get to the bottom of the situation and also ensure corrective measures to set things right.

The seed industry, on its part, also has a job to perform. This revelation has madeall nine seeds varieties a suspect. The manufacturers, importers and sellers of these seeds should also move to clear their name.

After all, it is their business. So, they need to come out with the relevant data — proving the strength and technological vigour of their seed and how have they been performing in the field for the last three years.

The industry should answer all allegations and improve the product. The cotton crop is fast losing its economic sheen, making investment difficult for the farmers.

The BT seed is an expensive proposition and may be the first one to come under pressure — especially if its stops performing or farmers’ awareness level increase about the credibility of the seed. The only way open for the seed business is to prove the allegations wrong.