BT Cowpea: See The Benefits And Believe On The Product

BY DR OLALEKAN AKINBO
A Nigerian born scientist, Professor Muhammad Faguji Ishiyaku, and his team of experts will deliver after many years the product of their research on the development of another good variety (Bt Cowpea).

This new variety is built with the characteristic trait that will help reduce the need to spray insecticide against the predominant pest of cowpea called Maruca testulalis. It is one of the high yielding varieties that will mitigate insect attacks so as to increase yield and the farmers will benefit positively from it.

The time and resources the team has invested into their long term study on cowpea breeding will translate into huge benefits to poor farmers and consumers. This new insect resistant cowpea will significantly reduce post-harvest loss and make cowpea business more profitable to farmers.

The major problem affecting cowpea production is the weevil that bore into the seed after harvest. The weevil’s life cycle starts right on the field during the time when the crop is getting ready for the seed to be formed. In the process the eggs of the weevil are laid, and developmental process continues till after harvest. As a result the economic value of the seed is reduced, mostly when it is not properly preserved during storage.

Scientists like Professor Ishiyaku and his team have worked over the years to find solution to this problem. With the rapid increase in knowledge, they have been able to use advanced plant breeding technology as one of the tools in their tool-box to develop this crop (variety) that could have the immunity built into the cowpea against this regular pest that reduces its economic value after harvest.

Although, in every new science discovery there will also be the fear of the unknown, and that is its safety. The story of pasteurised milk is a good example of technophobia.

Pasteurisation which is basically the process of eliminating bacteria in food and drinks, such as milk, canned food, and others raised several public health concerns when it was first introduced. The mobile phone is another clear case that exposed the public perception towards the adoption of any new technology. Many people viewed the mobile phone as a potential health hazard and resisted it during the early days of its introduction.

Genetic component of living organism has been well elucidated. The formulation of its word produces the outcome. For instance, in the elementary genetics we were taught of Deoxyribonucleic Acid, commonly referred to as DNA that manifest into some physical characteristics.

Another simple analogy that explains this further is the English language alphabets A, B, C, D… X, Y, Z. The combination of some of these alphabets will form a word, for instance letter C combined with letter O and other alphabets combined will form COWPEA. It could also form a word like COW. Cowpea is a plant, while COW is an animal. This is just the literal interpretation of how protein translates information in DNA.

This principle was used for the new variety cowpea through the help of latest advanced technology in the laboratory to solve the problem of maruca. This solution didn’t come through conventional plant breeding method; it came through the combined application of biotechnology knowledge (genetic engineering in the laboratory).

Using a temperature sensitive bacterium known as Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt), this gram-positive bacteria takes advantage of its God given characteristic to the benefit of humanity. It serves as a house and transport the characteristic to the specific segment of the plant DNA where the plant will be protected against maruca pest and the immunity is conferred. That is the simple science and the process continue with basic tissue culture procedure and field testing, and used the female cowpea plant to do backcrossing.

However, the science of the genetic engineering technology is well regulated with laid down procedures to follow for its deployment. Right from the laboratory which is called the discovery stage in the development of the technology, the regulation under which it is called “containment regulation” is put in place. This help the scientists to follow strict rules to carry out the research and any discoveries that is not fit for this purpose is discontinued at the early stage.

The regulatory body within the research centre where the discovery of this scientific invention is been conducted is called Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC). Their role and regulation is broad depending on the particular research goal.

In the case of developing this cowpea from the laboratory, the chief scientist will document all scientific findings to the IBC of its safety in relation to environmental, as well as human health before a go-ahead will be issued to the scientist to continue under the close scrutiny of the subsequent activities.

After the litmus test of the first stage is passed, the next stage is the “baby birth” stage. This imply that the discovery will be allowed to have a partial experience of the real world under close watch, this is called the “Confined Field Trial” where the watchdog of the technology will continue with the process of making sure that the new product does not constitute nuisance to the environment, and human health.

All the information collected during this phase again will be submitted to the IBC as reference for a clean bill and this is what will be submitted to higher regulatory body call Technical Biosafety Committee (TBC) through the competent agency as in the case of Nigeria, the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA). It is good to put it straight here that Nigeria is blessed with all the expertise needed to adopt this technology. The public must learn to listen and cooperate with the relevant government institutions.

The expert review process precedes the approval of whether to accept the science, or reject the findings. The decision is purely scientific after which other socio-economic considerations maybe put into decision making such as profitability to the farmer in terms of yield increase and health benefits like reduction in the number of spray that will allow farmers to spend more time with their family.

The Federal Government of Nigeria through the legislative and executive arms have put in place a good regulatory body to safeguard both Nigerian seeds business and seeds value chain by the establishment of an agency to regulate this technology in the country.

All that is needed to be done is to trust our regulatory agencies and have trust in the government.

Akinbo is the Senior Programme Officer, Biosafety, NEPAD African Biosafety Network of Expertise (ABNE), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso