Ghana’s first genetically modified (GMO) crop, a pod borer-resistant cowpea, has ignited a heated public debate as it becomes available for commercial cultivation.
The Savanna Agricultural Research Institute, part of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), announced last month that it had developed and launched the crop, reports SciDev.Net. The move is seen as a significant milestone in Ghana’s agricultural sector, but it has also stirred controversy.
The introduction of this GMO cowpea aims to combat the Maruca vitrata pest, also known as the bean pod borer, which has devastated farms across northern Ghana. Last year, farmer Hakeem Osman lost nearly a third of his bean crop on his 15-acre farm due to the pest’s damage.
“I lost money. Big money,” Osman told SciDev.Net, reflecting the financial toll that the pest has taken on local farmers.
Leading the charge against this agricultural scourge is Jerry Nboyine, a senior research scientist at the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute. Nboyine and his team have been at the forefront of developing the genetically modified cowpea, designed to withstand the destructive impact of the Maruca larvae.
“A single maruca larvae or a caterpillar can destroy at least four flowers before it moves into the adult stage,” Nboyine explained. After screening over 15,000 cowpeas from various regions in Africa and Asia, the team found no natural resistance to the pest. “The only option is now to go for genetic modification,” he said.
Drawing inspiration from Bt corn hybrids, Nboyine’s team introduced the Cry1A gene into Ghanaian cowpea varieties. “We started off with a gene known as the Cry1A gene. That particular gene was used to transform a particular cowpea variety,” he said.
This new pod borer-resistant cowpea is expected to revolutionise farming in the region. Farmers like Osman could see their yields more than double, from fewer than 10 bags per hectare to over 20, while reducing the need for pesticide spraying from eight times to just two.
Extensive testing has shown that the GMO cowpea is as safe as conventional varieties. “The result showed that it was as safe as any conventional cowpea,” Nboyine affirmed.
However, the introduction of GMOs remains a contentious issue in Ghana. In May, the Human Rights Court dismissed a lawsuit challenging the release of this GMO seed, ending a nine-year legal battle between the National Biosafety Authority and civil society groups.
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