The US patent No 5,723,765 titled `Control of Plant Gene Expression,' was granted on March 3, 1998, to Delta and Pine Land Company and to the US Department of Agriculture. It is this patent which has come to be known as the `terminator gene' technology which was developed and patented by the USDA jointly iwth one of the world's largest seed transnational corporations, Delta and Pine Land.

The patent was not as is often the case, for any new gene or gene control mechanism. Rather it used known genes and control mechanisms to restrict expression of desired traits to either the first generation of plants which germinate froma seed or only to subsequent generations. If a suitable lethal gene were incorporated, this system would make the second-generation seeds infertile.

The first generation seeds, which seed companies could sell to farmers, would however, develop normally.

Scope of the technology

Delta and Pine Land, recently acquired by the global biotech giant Monsanto, has announced its intention to apply terminator technology to staple food crops like wheat, rice and sorghum of which Indian farmers producer 200 million tonnes annually using their own seeds. USDA is on record saying that its priority lies in protecting the emerging multi-billion biotechnology seed industry -- meaning it is less concerned for the interests of the Third World farmers and for biodiversity.

Indeed, for some time now the United States has viewed farmers' rights as not being compatible with the intellectual property rights (IPR) regime that emphasizes private monopolies, which it seeks to foist on the world.

The patent documentpoints out: "The present invention can be used to make a variety of transgenic plants. The method is particularly suited for use with plants that are planted as a yearly crop from seed. These include, but are not limited to, fibre crops such as cotton and flax; dicotyledonous seed crops such as soyabean, sunflower and peanut; annual ornamental flowers; monocotyledonous grain crops such as maize, wheat and sorghum; leaf crops such tobacco, vegetable crops like lettuce, carrot, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower and fruit crops such as tomato, zucchini, watermelon, cantaloupe and pumpkin."

How does terminator gene stops seed formation?

Three stretches of DNA, which carry genetic information, need to be introduced into the plant for the purpose of stopping seed formation. The first bit of DNA has a particular type of promoter, which is essentially a stretch of DNA where the process of converting a gene into a protein is initiated. promoter used for the `terminator gene' becomes active only in the latestages of seed maturation.

But if only this promoter and the lethal gene were inserted into plants, then even the first generation seeds wouldn't sprout. This is prevented by having a `blocking sequence' between the promoter and the lethal gene so that the latter is prevented from being expressed. The blocking sequence is itself flanked by excision sequences.

The second bit of DNA carries the gene for an enzyme called recombinase which is able to recognise the excision sequences and remove these, alongwith the blocking sequence, from the first strip of DNA.

The recombinase gene is kept in control by another type of promoter. This promoter can be repressed--the recombinase enzyme will not then be produced -if a particular protein is present. A gene on the third bit of DNA keeps producing the protein which represses the promoter for recombinase. Plant cells are genetically modified by introducing these strips of DNA and plants are regenerated through tissue culture methods. Since the promoter is activeonly during a certain stage of seed formation, the lethal gene has no chance of being expressed. When the first generation plants go about the business of producing seeds, the blocking sequence is firmly in place to prevent the lethal gene from being active. The first generation seeds are, therefore, formed without any trouble.

When the first generation seeds mature, they are exposed to a certain chemical. This chemical is able to bind to the protein produced by the third strip of DNA and prevent it from repressing the promoter attached to the recombinase enzyme. With this repression removed, the cells of the mature seed produce recombinase.

The recombinase promptly removes the excision and blocking sequences in the first strip of DNA. Although the promoter and the lethal gene have been brought together, the lethal gene is not expressed because the promoter has been chosen to be active only at an earlier stage of seed development which is now safely past.

As a result, these seeds can be sold to farmers,and will germinate properly to produce healthy plants. However, these second generation plants now carry the promoter and lethal gene biding their time to spring into action.

That time comes when the second generation plants start producing seeds. At the stage, when the promoter becomes active, the lethal gene springs to life and the chemical it produces disrupts the process of seed formation. As a result the second generation seeds will not be fertile.

According to the patent document, the promoter becomes active only in late embryogenisis, virtually the late stage in seed formation after most other fruit and seed structures are formed. So, the seed or fruit can be used as food, but will not germinate if planted.

Pros and cons of the technologypAccording to Monsanto (which has now taken over Delta & Pine Land Company) the terminator gene technology isn't too different from hybrid crops which don't reproduce. The USDA has set goals to increase the value of proprietary seed owned by US seedcompanies and to open new markets in second and third world countries. Their mission is to protect American technology and to make it competitive in the face of foreign competition.

The new `terminator gene' technology will obviously have global implications. And although it has the prospect of opening significant worldwide seed markets to the sale of transgenic technology for crops in which seed is currently saved and used in subsequent plantings, the sole beneficiaries will be the TNC giants at the cost of millions of poor farmers. While proponents of terminator technology, which is being tested first on cotton and tobacco, claim that small farmers will be unaffected, concerned agronomists say the reality is different.

The `terminator gene' would be immediately attractive for agro-chemical companies now developing genetically engineered seeds. Because these seeds are patented, and licensed to farmers for one growing season only, the companies employ private security guards to ensure that farmers do notreuse their seeds.

Where does India stand?

A potential end to an age-old farming practice may be in sight with a hi-tech development from the US Government that can genetically switch off a plant's ability to reproduce. Agriculture will allow companies to stop farmers collecting seeds to plant again in following years.

What is being dubbed the `terminator' gene by the genetic engineering industry would, when licensed to seed and chemical companies, pass more control of global crops to US companies and force farmers to buy new seeds each year.

Even some top agronomists from the developed world agree that the technology is terribly dangerous, keeping in mind that half the world's farmers are poor. They provide food for more than one billion people but they can't afford to buy seeds every growing season. With the advent of this technology, the better off farmers will be forced to pay, but their poor neighbours will no longer be able to exchange breeding material with them.

According to NethDano of the Filipino group SEARICE, which works with small farmers, the latest patented `terminator' gene could force millions of small farmers out of plant breeding altogether. The possibility of pollen from the crops carrying the `terminator gene' blowing into the fields of farmers who either reject or cannot afford the technology can also not be discounted.Farmers could find their seeds are infertile (even when not using the `terminator gene seeds) when it is too late. This may be the `neutron bomb of agriculture' according to some scientists.

Indian farmers mostly cultivate small plots of land averaging one acre in size. These farmers have developed thousands of crop varieties by painstakingly selecting the desired traits from different strains. This has greatly contributed to the genetic biodiversity in India.

However, adoption of the `terminator' gene technology developed by a foreign multinational could jeopardise India's independence in the area of grain production, which has been the mainstay ofits economy.

Where should we go from here?

India with its wider genetic base and rich biodiversity should not worry about direct or indirect offshoots of terminator gene technology. At least ten prominent research establishments in the country have the required capabilities to state of the art technology but do not have the guts to admit it openly. Rather now everyone likes to take the extreme stand of banning the technology.

It should be noted that some naturalists are also thinking recombinant DMA technology seeds or products as untouchables. Nevertheless, this technology is being accepted by people at large. Likewise society one day has to accept manipulation of gene even if it means termination. For example Organic Crop Improvement Association International of Nebraska, USA clearly bans the use of genetic engineered micro-organisms in the bio-fertilisers and bio-pesticides.

Moreover, just as a coin has two sides, the terminator gene technology also has its pros and cons. Thus it is in theinterests of Indian people that the government should encourage research in the field of terminator gene technology and in tech process protect our farmers from the foreign multinationals.

It should not be forgotten that hybrid seeds are in a way termination of gene in absolute sense of the word.

And what about seedless fruits. These are large numbers of marginal farmers who switch to horticulture to come out of their subsistence level. It is interesting to note that many small farmers have become rich farmers by using hybrid vegetable seeds, which are pretty expensive.

In fact, they buy these expensive seeds at any given cost from hybrid seed companies to get the bumper yields. And these yields h ave not only improved standard for living of the rich farmers but also of small and marginal farmers. In fact the hybrid seed revolution made several marginal farmers into small farmers, and small farmers into medium farmers. This has happened in many districts of Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Besides just as wehave to take care of marginal farmers we have to take care of the elite and leading farmers who like constant improvement in their plantations to fetch better price for their farm produce. Again it should be noted that when we have capabilities of producing the technology we should not slip the opportunity out of our hands into foreign hands and make a hue and cry of the same. In fine, if the terminator technology is to be applied in our farms let it be indigenous rather than importing it.

(The authors own the Biotechnology Research Centre and are engaged in the research of tissue culture, vermiculture, floriculture, pheromones, and single cell proteins among others)