[Dhaka Tribune] The government plans to release genetically modified (GM) potato, reportedly capable of resisting late blight disease, during the upcoming season.
Our story opens in the laboratory of the famous scientist, Doctor Rafiqul Islam...
"We are planning to apply for the approval for releasing one variety of GM potato at the end of this year," said Rafiqul Islam Mondol, director general of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI).
"There's really nothing to worry about. Not much, anyway. We've spliced in genes from the sperm whale give a larger yield, and the pit bull to make the potato less likely to succumb to disease..."
BARI has developed GM potatoes by inserting pest and weather-resistant gene in two local potato varieties -- Cardinal and Diamond.
"We had to rearrange a bit of DNA, but we got everything to fit..."
"Of the two, we are planning to release only the Diamond variety at the field level this year as we are satisfied with the results," said Rafiqul.
"We still have a few concerns about the Cardinal variety."
Late blight is one of the major diseases that damages potato plants and also its production. A resistance gene named Solanum bulbocastanum found in a wild potato variety in Latin American has been used to develop the genetically modified potato varieties in Bangladesh.
"What kind of concerns, Doctor?"
"Well, chiefly its size."
"How big is it?"
"One's thirty-two stories tall. The other is a little bigger."
"That's a lot of French fries!"
BARI has cultivated the varieties at its six research centres in Rangpur, Gazipur, Jessore, Bogra, Comilla and Hathazari.
"The Cardinal variety was being tested at the Bogra facility, but we don't know how the tests came out."
"Why's that?"
"We haven't been able to contact the facility for the past two weeks."
Rafiqul said: "We will send the necessary documents seeking the approval within the next two to three months to the National Bio-safety Committee under the Ministry of Environment and Forests. The variety will be released to the farmers."
"Really, nothing could go wrong. Not much, anyway..."
The government has been trying to develop GM potato varieties since 2006 from American potato variety transgenic Katahdin SP 951 developed by Colonel University.
"Try and hold it!... [THRASH! THRASH!]... It's getting away! Shoot, for the love of Allen! Shoot it!"
"Where are a potato's vitals?"
"I don't know! Aim for the eyes!"
Initially, more than 300 clones of Cardinal and Diamond varieties were developed in an Indonesian laboratory, and confined trials have been being run for the last three seasons.
"My Gawd, doctor! The whole herd has broken out!"
Of them, only six clones were selected for the final trial.
"Yes! The others got away! Call out the air force!"