Coimbatore (PTI): BT Brinjal, considered to be the first bt vegetable crop, is expected to hit the market as early as possible, as it awaited Governent approval, a senior official in Mahyco, which developed it, said today.

The vegetable, also known as eggplant, has undergone all necessary tests and trials and Varanasi-based Indian Institute of Vegetable Research also submitted its report to the Centre, Dr.Bharat Char, Lead-Biotechnology, Mahyco Research Centre, Dawalwadi, Maharashtra, told reporters here.

Claiming that Bt Brinjal is compositionally identical to conventional brinjal with same nutritional value, Char said benefits are less use of pesticides, so less pesticide residue on the fruit for consumers, besides higher yields for farmers.

Nearly 25 safety studies, including environmental and food safety studies since 2002 have shown that it has no effect on non-target organisms and does not cause 'injury to ill-effect' to other plants, insects, bird, fish, animals of human beings,he claimed.

This ensured that Bt Brinjal was an absolutely safe edible vegetable which would have multiple positive effects, like providing better quality and more marketable vegetable and more profit to farmers, Char said.

With bt brinjal, farmers used 70 per cent less insecticide for fruit and shoot-borer control, as a result 42 per cent less pesticide overall for control of all insect pests,he said.