GHANA SCIENTISTS KEEN ON GENETICALLY MODIFIED RICE RESEARCH

Researchers in Ghana say they are recording
favourable outcomes in the trials of genetically
modified (GM) rice in the country.
The confined field trials started in April 2013 at
Nobewam in the Ashanti region, after receiving
approval from the National Biosafety Committee
(NBC).
The fourth successive experiment of the Nitrogen
Use Efficiency (NUE) rice is being conducted by
the Crops Research Institute (CRI) of the Council
for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
Principal Investigator, Dr. Maxwell Asante, says the
project has already identified a lead event which
will give at least a 15 percent yield advantage over
non-GM version of the planted rice.
“If the lead event is confirmed, we will request for
permission from the NBC to allow it to be grown by
farmers in Ghana after testing. The genes that
make the GM rice nitrogen-use efficient will then
be transferred to other varieties in Ghana through
conventional breeding methods,” he stated.
There is strong opposition to the introduction of
GM crops in Ghana’s food production chain.
Biosafety advocate, Albert Aubyn, however says
there is no cause for worry with the current trials,
noting that field activities are strictly in
conformity with regulative measures.
“Not until the experiment has proved that it is
safe for humans to use, what we do is that we
make sure that in this case of rice, pollen doesn’t
flow out to pollinate other related crops,” he said.
Ghana spends over $500million annually in rice
importation, in addition to huge foreign exchange
in the importation of other food items.
“Biotechnology is cutting-edge technology that
can help us in our quest to improve food security,”
said Dr. Stella Ennin, Director of the CSIR-CRI.
“Fertilizer is very necessary for our plants, yet
the cost is so high and our farmers cannot afford
it; so we are going around the system to find
varieties that can produce a good crop of rice with
minimum nitrogen fertilizer applied and we are
using the science of GMO.”
The next set of experiment will involve the
evaluation of the triple-stack gene rice plants to
identify lead events in nitrogen-use efficiency,
water-use efficiency and salt tolerant genetically
modified rice – dubbed “NEWEST Rice”.
This will especially help farmers deal with the
effects of climate change and expand rice
cultivation to areas previously not supported.
Ghana’s GM or NEWEST Rice is projected to go
commercial within the next three to five years.
Three confined field trials of rice, cowpea and
cotton are currently being evaluated in Ghana in
compliance with the Biosafety Act 2011, Act 831,
which regulates GMOs.