Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC)
Decisions taken in the
54th
Meeting of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC)
held on 3rd May 2005
Document in PDF format:
http://www.envfor.nic.in/divisions/csurv/geac/geac-54.pdf
Status
of pending projects on May 18, 2005
Document in PDF
format: http://www.envfor.nic.in/divisions/csurv/geac/geac-pen-180505.pdf
RELATED NEWS ITEM
GEAC approves two more biotech cotton
hybrids for cultivation
By Ashok B Sharma,
The Financial Express via
Checkbiotech
The
Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) in its
emergency meeting convened on last Friday approved two Bt
cotton hybrids of Nuziveedu Seeds namely NCS-145 Bunny Bt
and NCS-207 Mallika Bt for commercial cultivation in south
and central India.
The GEAC was scheduled to meet
on June 5, but the meeting was advanced on request made by
the industry. The seed industry cited reasons for early
approval as the sowing season will commence from May 20.
The GEAC met thrice so far in the year for new approvals of
Bt cotton for commercial cultivation. So far the number of
new approvals for commercial cultivation of Bt cotton hybrid
varieties is 13.
Some of the new approved varieties like MRC-630 developed by
Mahyco, Ankur 651 of Ankur Seeds and NCS-145 Bunny Bt and
NCS-207 Malika Bt can be cultivated in both central and
south India.
With Mahyco-Monsanto’s Mech-12 Bt, Mech-162 Bt and Mech-184
Bt and Rasi Seed’s RCH-2 already in cultivation, the total
number of Bt cotton hybrids available for commercial
cultivation in different parts of the country in 2005 is 17.
The GEAC, in its meeting on May 3, 2005 banned the
cultivation of Mech-12 Bt in entire south India, due to its
poor performance in these states. It can be cultivated in
central India, which includes Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya
Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Mech-162 Bt and Mech-184 Bt have been banned for commercial
cultivation in Andhra Pradesh, on receiving adverse reports
from the state government. The region-wise authorised
cultivation of Bt cotton in 2005 is as follows :- 1. In
north India, including Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan Bt
hybrids like RCH-134 and RCH-317 of Rasi Seed, MRC-6304 and
MRC-6301 of Mahyco and Ankur-651 and Ankur-2534 of Ankur
Seeds can be cultivated.
2. In central India, including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya
Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Bt hybrids like Mech-12 Bt,
Mech-162 Bt, Mech-184 Bt and MRC-6301 of Mahyco-Monsanto,
RCH-2, RCH-118, RCH-138 and RCH-144 of Rasi Seed, Ankur-651
and Ankur-09 of Ankur Seeds and NCS-145 Bunny Bt and NCS-207
Malika Bt of Nuziveedu Seeds can be cultivated.
3. In south India, including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and
Tamil Nadu, Bt cotton hybrids like RCH-2, RCH-20 and RCH-368
of Rasi Seed, MRC-6322 and MRC-6918 of Mahyco-Monsanto and
NCS-145 Bunny Bt and NCS-207 Malika Bt of Nuziveedu Seeds
can be cultivated. Mech-162 Bt and Mech-184 Bt of
Mahyco-Monsanto can be cultivated in south India with the
exception of Andhra Pradesh.
The GEAC on last Friday also allowed large scale field
trials of ACH-155-1 Bt of Ajeet Seeds in south India. It
also allowed large scale field trials of MRC-6355 BG-1 of
Mahyco in both central and south India. The seed production
of MRC-7341 BG-II, MRC-7347 BG-II and MRC-7351 BG-II
varieties developed by Mahyco will be limited to one acre
area in central and south India.
© 2005: Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
