Lok Sabha Question No. 3617 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-08
Subject: Irradiated Seeds
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: KRUPAL BALAJI TUMANE, BHAVANA GAWALI (PATIL)

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3617

TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.08.2018

## IRRADIATED SEEDS

3617.  SHRI KRUPAL BALAJI TUMANE: SHRIMATI BHAVANA PUNDALIKRAO GAWALI PATIL:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a)   whether advanced varieties of seeds have been developed by Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) using radiation and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)    the number of such varieties of seeds developed using this technology;
- (c)   whether these seeds are potentially hazardous to health of humans and if so, the details  thereof; and
- (d)      the  precautions  taken  /  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  avoid  such  health risks?

## ANSWER

THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  FOR  PERSONNEL,  PUBLIC  GRIEVANCES  & PENSIONS AND PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (Dr. JITENDRA SINGH):

- (a)&(b)  Yes,  Sir.  Using  radiation  induced mutagenesis along  with  cross  breeding, BARC  has  developed  42  notified  varieties  of  oilseeds  (15  varieties  of groundnut,  3  varieties  of  mustard,  2  varieties  of  soybean,  one  variety  of sunflower), pulses (8 varieties of mungbean, 5 varieties each of pigeonpea and urdbean and one variety of cowpea), one variety each of rice and jute, which have been released and notified for commercial cultivation across the country.  Details  are  given  at  Annexure-1.  Some  of  the  desirable  traits  in these crops include higher yield, seed size, improved agronomic and quality traits, early maturity and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.
- (c)       No,  Sir.  Crop  varieties  developed  through  mutation  along  with   cross breeding  are  not  hazardous  to  human  beings.  From  the  genetic  changes brought  by  radiation  based  mutagenesis,  only  desirable  changes  in  crop plants which are beneficial to the farmers and are suitable to different agroclimatic regions, are incorporated and carried forward. After stabilization of desirable changes, new crop lines are tested rigorously in national or state evaluation trials over the seasons and across the locations. Only those lines which have superiority over the local, zonal and national check varieties are released and notified for commercial cultivation.
- (d) The new breeding lines developed using radiations (mutants) are evaluated along  with  the  lines  developed  by  other  research  centres  in  the  trials conducted  by  the  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR)  and/or different State agriculture universities in their respective agro-climatic zones. Hence, mutants are commercialized only after systematic evaluation, their superiority  over  existing  varieties,  and  approval  by  the  recommendation committees  as  per  the  norms  set  by  Central  and  State  Variety  Release Committees. In view of the above, there is no health risks associated with the mutant varieties.

*****

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) and (b) ofLok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3617 regarding'Irradiated Seeds' to be answered on 08.08.2018.

## Trombay  crop  varieties  released  and  notified  for  commercial  cultivation  in India

| Variety         | Year of release   | States                                                                                    | Special features                                                                                                                |
|-----------------|-------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| OIL SEEDS       | OIL SEEDS         | OIL SEEDS                                                                                 | OIL SEEDS                                                                                                                       |
| Groundnut       | Groundnut         | Groundnut                                                                                 | Groundnut                                                                                                                       |
| TG 1            | 1973              | All India                                                                                 | High yield, large seed, more branches, 50 days seed dormancy                                                                    |
| TG 17           | 1985              | Maharashtra                                                                               | No secondary branches, 30 days seed dormancy                                                                                    |
| TG 3            | 1987              | Kerala                                                                                    | High Yield                                                                                                                      |
| Somnath (TGS 1) | 1991              | Gujarat                                                                                   | Large seed (70-80 g/100 seeds), Semi-runner type                                                                                |
| TAG 24          | 1992              | Maharashtra, Orissa, Karnataka, West Bengal, Rajasthan                                    | Semi-dwarf, Small dark green thick leaves, Earliness (95-100 days), high harvest index, high partitioning %, wider adaptability |
| TG 22           | 1994              | Bihar                                                                                     | Medium large seed (55-60g/100 seeds), 50 days seed dormancy                                                                     |
| TKG 19A         | 1996              | Maharashtra                                                                               | Large seed (70-75g/100 seeds), 30 days seed dormancy                                                                            |
| TG 26           | 1996              | Gujarat, North Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh                                                | Earliness (95-100 days), high harvest index, 20 days seed dormancy, Smooth pods, Salinity tolerance                             |
| TG 37A          | 2004              | Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, UP, Gujarat, Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar, North Eastern states | High yield, smooth pods, collar rot and drought tolerance, wider adaptability                                                   |
| TPG 41          | 2004              | All India                                                                                 | Large seed (75-80g/100 seeds), Medium maturity (120 days), 20 days seed dormancy, High oleic acid (60%).                        |

| Variety                         | Year of release   | States                                           | Special features                                                                                              |
|---------------------------------|-------------------|--------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| TG 38                           | 2006              | Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar, North Eastern states | High shelling %(78%), more 3-seeded pods, more round seeds                                                    |
| TLG 45                          | 2007              | Maharashtra                                      | Large seed (75-80g/100 seeds), Medium maturity (115-120 days)                                                 |
| TG 39 (Trombay Bikaner) TGLPS 3 | 2008              | Rajasthan                                        | Large seed (75-80g/100 seeds), Medium maturity (115-120 days), high oleic acid (59%), more number of branches |
| (TDG 39)                        | 2009              | Karnataka                                        | Large seed (75-80g/100 seeds), Medium maturity (115-120 days), high oleic acid (59%), more number of branches |
| TG 51                           | 2008              | Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar, North Eastern states | Early maturity (90 days), medium large seed (50-55g/100 seeds), high shelling% (78%), more 3-seeded pods.     |
| TG 47 (Bheema, RARS-T-1)        | 2011              | Andhra Pradesh                                   | Large seed (65-70g/100 seeds), Maturity of 110-115 days                                                       |
| Mustard                         | Mustard           | Mustard                                          | Mustard                                                                                                       |
| TM 2                            | TM 2              | TM 2                                             | TM 2                                                                                                          |
| TM 4                            | TM 4              | TM 4                                             | TM 4                                                                                                          |
| TPM 1                           | TPM 1             | TPM 1                                            | TPM 1                                                                                                         |
| Soybean                         | Soybean           | Soybean                                          | Soybean                                                                                                       |
| TAMS 38                         | TAMS 38           | TAMS 38                                          | TAMS 38                                                                                                       |
| TAMS 98- 21                     | TAMS 98-21        | TAMS 98-21                                       | TAMS 98-21                                                                                                    |
| Sunflower                       | Sunflower         | Sunflower                                        | Sunflower                                                                                                     |
| TAS 82                          | TAS 82            | TAS 82                                           | TAS 82                                                                                                        |
| PULSES                          | PULSES            | PULSES                                           | PULSES                                                                                                        |
| Mungbean                        | Mungbean          | Mungbean                                         | Mungbean                                                                                                      |
| TAP-7                           | 1983              | Maharashtra, Karnataka                           | Tolerant to powdery mildew                                                                                    |
| TARM-2                          | 1992              | Maharashtra                                      | Resistant to powdery mildew                                                                                   |

| Variety                    | Year of release           | States                                                              | Special features                                                                    |
|----------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| TARM-1                     | 1995                      | Maharashtra, Gujarat, MP, AP, Kerala, Orissa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu | Resistant to powdery mildew                                                         |
| TARM-18                    | 1995                      | Maharashtra                                                         | Resistant to powdery mildew                                                         |
| TMB-37                     | 2005                      | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, WB                          | Tolerant to yellow mosaic virus                                                     |
| TJM-3                      | 2007                      | Madhya Pradesh                                                      | Resistant to powdery mildew, Yellow mosaic virus and Rhizoctonia root -rot diseases |
| TM-96-2 ( TrombayP esara ) | 2007                      | Andhra Pradesh                                                      | Resistant to powdery mildew and Corynespora leaf spot                               |
| TM-2000-2 Pairymung        | 2010                      | Chhattisgarh                                                        | Suitable for rice fallow and resistant to powdery mildew                            |
| Pigeonpea                  | Pigeonpea                 | Pigeonpea                                                           | Pigeonpea                                                                           |
| TT-6                       | 1983                      | MP, Maharashtra, AP, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala                     | Large seed                                                                          |
| TAT-10                     | 1985                      | Maharashtra                                                         | Early maturing                                                                      |
| TT-401                     | 2007                      | Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh                  | High yielding, tolerant to pod borer and pod fly damage                             |
| TJT-501                    | 2009                      | MP, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh                              | High yielding, tolerant to Phytophthora blight, early maturing                      |
| PKV-TARA                   | 2013                      | Maharashtra                                                         | Resistant to wilt and sterility mosaic                                              |
| Urdbean                    | Urdbean                   | Urdbean                                                             | Urdbean                                                                             |
| TAU-1                      | 1985                      | Maharashtra                                                         | Large seed                                                                          |
| TPU-4                      | 1992                      | Maharashtra, MP                                                     | Large seed                                                                          |
| TAU-2                      | 1992                      | Maharashtra                                                         | High yielding                                                                       |
| TU 94-2                    | 1999                      | Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu                       | Resistant to yellow mosaic virus                                                    |
| TU-40                      | 2013                      | AP, Karnataka, Orissa, TN                                           | Suitable for rice fallows and resistant to powdery mildew                           |
| Cowpea                     | Cowpea                    | Cowpea                                                              | Cowpea                                                                              |
| TRC-77-4 (Khalleshwa ri)   | TRC- 77-4 (Khalle shwari) | TRC-77-4 (Khalleshwari)                                             | TRC-77-4 (Khalleshwari)                                                             |
| RICE                       | RICE                      | RICE                                                                | RICE                                                                                |
| Hari                       | 1988                      | Andhra Pradesh                                                      | Slender grain type                                                                  |
| JUTE                       | JUTE                      | JUTE                                                                | JUTE                                                                                |
| TKJ-40 (Mahadev)           | 1983                      | Orissa                                                              | High yielding                                                                       |