The article “Keep the pause button on GM pressed” (Sept. 7) and other pieces on the subject expose the confusion over the understanding of science and technology. The basic question is: is GM really a product of a modified gene? There is no proof as such. What one sees is better gene-expression of crop at some places, and not uniformly at all places. Most new varieties of crops fail to perform over the years.
Panchagavya that Indian farmers have been traditionally familiar with is now being used for the seed treatment of local crops in Tirunelveli district, over 10,000 acres. The yields are remarkable. It is successful because it is gene-coordinator acting on the sprouting seed. This technology can be further improved, by research, because there is a fundamental in it.
R. Venkataraman
Tepperumanallur
Nature has created barriers to check gene flow across species. With technological intervention, it is now possible to break these natural barriers and transfer genes across species and genus. But this is against natural laws. The behaviour of GMO and their impact on the environment need to be studied before using them in agriculture.
Praveen Kumar,
Ambala
