Editorial: Embark on GMO enlightenment on dos and don’ts now

 

The new scientific exposition on the recently released transgenic maize varieties into the Nigerian seeds market has taken a new turn with speculation of  being able to actually contaminate other surrounding conventional  maize farms, the reason why all plant breeders, the coordinating Biotechnology Agency of the Federal Government ( FG) at the states and local government where farmings activities are actually carried out must immediately embark on massive education and enlightenment of farmers on why they should not plant conventional maize varieties too close to anywhere transgenic maize are planted.

 An expert’s opinion maintains isolation radius of 600 meters to avoid pollen contamination, or time isolation of three weeks for maize of similar flowering days.

Scientists at the prestigious Institute for Agricultural Research ( IAR) confirmed that the transgenic maize can actually contaminate Open Pollinated Varieties ( OPV) seeds through open tassel that can be easily blown by wind to cross breed other maize crops elsewhere.

Dr. D.A Labe of IAR, Agronomy Department has asked the leader of cereal crops program at the 2024 cropping scheme on how they are considering the impact of environmental possible contamination  with the transgenic maize varieties that have been released and the consequences to other farmers who are not interested in planting GMO maize produce. 

He admitted that genetically modified technology is a modern scientific technique to enhance challenges of food security in view of  fall Armyworms, pest/ insects attack, drought and floods resistant, but posited that farmers must be educated to differentiate or better still know their dos and donts in order to avoid contamination.

Scientists argued  how would an illiterate farmer identify a transgenic maize plantation so as to be able to avoid planting near such, except he is being educated and properly enlightened.

The government may consider giving designated areas and zones of planting GMO varieties with full label of flowering and maturity days as is done in some advanced countries to keep effective isolation in terms of space and time.

 For the sake of those who are not interested in GMO, we think the issue of contamination should be a thing of priority to avoid future litigation against farms contamination for sake of food security. 

The big question here is how did the transgenic maize varieties pass the environmental test without the breeders’ team factoring terminator gene into the products so as to disallow further propagation, except at the point of utilization. 

A breeder/ seeds producer expert in maize suggested inclusion of terminator gene to the released transgenic maize varieties saying it would disallow pollen ability to cross fertilize with non GMO, thereby ensuring safe environment.

Recall that the release of these transgenic maizes by the Varietal Release Committee at National Centre for Genetic Biotechnology ( NACGRAB) is as a result of environmental friendliness certification of the National Biotechnology Research Agency. And now that the new scientific development is confirming their contamination possibility with being able to alter the traits of the conventional maize that could lead to one consuming genetically modified maize unknowingly against individuals' choice. The time to ensure enlightenment is now before it gets too late.

It was a well established scientific fact that the transgenic maize open tassle according to Prof. Oyekunle Muhyideen of IAR can be easily blown to cross breed with a close by maize farms with an unforeseeable consequence as science is concerned, and being a new improved technology that all the parents traits are foreign materials. This he said was unlike our locally genetically modified cowpea which are self-pollinated that cannot be cross-bred except by deliberate  breeding action.

The earlier we start taking action the better to forestall irreparable damages against the future.We must all stand to defend our food potency and taste before they are all infiltrated with foreign lines or traits which may not add any economic values to our agricultural economy based on rejection as a result of substandard by the same people.

Those who fail to plan may end up planning to fail. Our food security is a matter of sufficient defence to our crops taste and flavor in the face of foreign invasion of technologies. As we must take the full advantage of the GM potential in the face of criticism to enhance our food productivity system, our scientists must also ensure unbiased interest that will promote our food security without putting lives of people in danger by giving our farmers all needed information that will make them take an independent improved technologies choice of their own.