The aubergines carry the Btcry1Ac gene conveying resistance to fruit and shoot borers (Leucinodes orbonalis). Mahyco has been conducting trials on the GM lines since 2007, when the GEAC gave the nod. Final clearance from the government is expected early in 2010 after consultations involving various stakeholders.

The GEAC’s decision is based on a report by an expert committee setup earlier this year. In a detailed evaluation, the committee declared the GM line as safe for environmental release. It concluded that the cry1Ac gene provides effective protection against the borers and results in „enhanced economic benefits accrued from higher marketable yield and lower usage of pesticide sprays”. Allaying fears of the GM line displaying genetic instability, the committee said that the insect resistance trait is stably integrated in the aubergine genome and there is no evidence or likelihood of genetic instability. It further said that the EE-1 event is highly specific in its action on target organisms and has no adverse impact on non-target organisms including beneficial organisms and soil microflora. Additionally, no accumulation and persistence of Bt protein in the soil was observed.

In its assessment of food and feed safety, it said that the Bt protein is highly specific to lepidopteran pests and is neither toxic nor allergenic to human and animals. It degrades within 30 seconds in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids and is not detectable even in short-term digestibility studies. As Bt aubergines would signify the first GM food crop to be commercially cultivated in India, it has been at the centre of a lot of controversy and the government is being cautious about the final go-ahead. The Environment Minister, Jairam Ramesh, has expressed his intention to arrive at a „careful, considered decision in the public and national interest” considering the strong views that have been expressed on the issue. „The decision will be made only after the consultations process is complete and all stakeholders are satisfied that they have been heard to their satisfaction,” he says.

Aubergines are grown on an area of around 500,000 ha in India. The crop is considered important for socio-economic reasons as it is grown primarily by smallholder farmers. Various studies cited by the expert committee showed that the borer attacks the crop throughout its life cycle and causes yield losses of 60-70% even after repeated insecticide sprays. An average of Rs 5,952 ($125) per acre (Rs14,700/ha) is spent to control it in a cropping season. The report cites surveys conducted in Bangladesh indicating that farmers sprayed insecticides up to 84 times during a 6-7 month cropping season to control the pest. The commercial launch in India would likely pave the way for similar introductions in Bangladesh and some other countries in the region.