With reference to the Genetically Modified mustard (GM mustard) developed in India, consider the following statements :
1. GM mustard has the genes of a soil bacterium that gives the plant the property of pest-resistance to a wide variety of pests.
2. GM mustard has the genes that allow the plant cross-pollination and hybridization.
3. GM mustard has been developed jointly by the IARI and Punjab Agricultural University.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11, otherwise known as DMH - 11, is a genetically modified hybrid variety of the mustard species Brassica juncea. Statement 1 is incorrect. The GM mustard developed in India does not have the property of pest-resistance. It has been genetically modified for hybridization and increased yield, not for pest-resistance. Statement 2 is correct. The GM mustard has been developed with genes that allow it to cross-pollinate, leading to hybridization and increased yield. Statement 3 is incorrect. The GM mustard was developed by scientists at Delhi University’s Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP), not by the IARI and Punjab Agricultural University. So, only statement 2 is correct.