Jorhat, June 21: Research into genetically modified crops continues for B.K. Sarmah and others working in the agricultural biotechnology department of the Assam Agricultural University, as the debate over the safety of such produce, like the BT brinjal, rages elsewhere.

A product of the department, the weevil resistant chickpea, (but mah), is currently being tested in a university in America to determine how safe it is for human consumption.

“The tests for allergencities in human beings will be completed in the next six months to one year and then the bio-safety can be proved without doubt,” said Sarmah, the professor of the department.

Sarmah said he was sure that the genetically modified chickpea would be much safer than those doused in pesticides to prevent weevil infestation, as is done in many places of Assam.

“A few years ago, there was a furore in the state over the deaths of many schoolchildren after eating soaked chickpeas. The other day people were taken ill after consuming the same during a festival in Lahdoigarh and the most likely reason was that these were dunked in pesticides before storage,” he said.

Sarmah said the International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics, Hyderabad, had bought the weevil resistant technology.

Mahyco, another company dealing in genetically modified crops, had bought the technology, which conferred resistance against pod borers, which attacks the chickpeas, resulting in heavy losses to the farmer.

Both the companies are working at introgression, that is, transferring the characteristic to other varieties for commercial production.

The scientist said in America, processed genetically modified crops were being consumed for quite some time now.

Of late, even BT papaya was being eaten uncooked.

However, the European Union was opposed to these crops, apprehensive that they were harmful for humans because of the insertion of a gene, which was resistant to the antibiotic kanamycinin.

This had to be done to differentiate the genetically modified crops from the other crops.

Kanamycinin was thought to produce resistance in humans to bacteria.

“The safety of the antibiotic was well established in the past but it was only in 2009 that it has been approved by the European Food Safety Authority. Despite this European countries are yet to take to GM crops, Sarmah said.

He added that in India, the regulations were even stricter.

At first, a crop has to go through the institute’s bio-safety committee, where the vice-chancellor or his nominee is the chairperson, a medical doctor and a nominee of the department of biotechnology government of India are members, among others.

Next comes the Review Committee of Genetic Modification where an AIIMS director, director of forestry and environment, director general of ICAR among others, are members.

Then it will have to be passed by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee, the apex body of transgenic crops in India.

“Transgenic crops will prevail one day and in this regard, we are continuing our research with the support of the vice-chancellor of the university, K.M. Bujarbaruah, who has given us the go-ahead for research in this field,” Sarmah said.

Those engaged in such research are S. Acharjee, who has initiated research in pigeon pea (rahar) and S. Singh in rice to develop high iron content and resistance to drought.