The Hindu Business Line : Mahyco's new Bt cotton strain raises TN farmers' hopes

The elements of nature would not have combined any better for the farming villages in Kinathukadavu block, some 15 km off Coimbatore. More so for Mahyco Seeds Ltd, which is waiting in the wings to see the outcome of its first commercial planting of Bt cotton hybrid, MRC 6918, with extra long staple (ELS) fibre properties.

With first and second pickings of kapas already through in the 50-odd acres of cotton farms in the past two weeks in the Vazhukuparai and surrounding villages in Kinathukadavu block, where Mahyco had distributed its ELS Bt cotton hybrid strain, MRC 6918 for commercial sowing for the first time in July this year, smiles are visible on the faces of farmers who are promised of a good kapas output from their new crop this time.

What is more, Mahyco's Bollguard MRC 6918, the hybrid cross of Hirusutum and Barbedense parents, did not require pesticide application beyond four sprays against the normal practice of minimum 10-12 sprays in respect of other strains such as DCH-32.

"With the first bursting happening on the 110th day of planting, I have already collected 5-6 quintals of kapas from this extra long staple hybrid and we expect the total yield to be 12-15 quintals an acre by the time the crop hits its full duration of 180 days," said Mr Kumaresan and Mr Pechimuthu, who have raised Mahyco's new strain on one acre and three acres respectively.

"While we have not used even a single application for the boll worms this time, the pesticide application for sucking pests was also limited to just four times," said Mr Pechimuthu.

Ms Subbulakshmi of nearby Thoppampatti village, who reluctantly opted to cultivate Mahyco's new ELS hybrid on 1.5 acres due to last year's fear of dropping cotton prices, is impressed by the quality and size of the yield besides the lower pesticide application.

"My pesticide usage this year was limited to just two times, that too to control the sucking pests," she said adding that this would bring down her input costs by Rs 10,000.

With a higher yield anticipated this time, these farmers, however, are apprehensive about the prices their yield is going to get ultimately.

Mahyco Seeds, which has been approved for commercial cultivation of MRC 6918 seeds by the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee after its successful field trials in 2005, has this year gone about propagating the commercial seed distribution for this variety for the kharif planting in July.

It has test marketed the seeds for about 1,500 acres in Tamil Nadu. It has also gone for a higher acreage in Dharwad, Haveri, and Belgaum tracts in Karnataka, which are known DCH-32 cultivating regions.

A team of crop experts and members of cotton trade and textile industry who visited the Kinathukadavu farms under the aegis of the South India Cotton Association were impressed by the early fibre qualities. "Besides the lustre and the colour, the fibre qualities appear to be excellent, though the yield of the plants are to be assessed," said Mr Seethapathy, Executive Director of Super Spinning Mills Ltd.

Mahyco Seeds hopes to distribute MRC 6918 seeds to cover 10,000 acres for the next season in the State.

The kapas output from the new ELS strain from Mahyco promises to give good quality fibre which is equivalent to the Egyptian cottons in terms of colour and grade, according to Mr K.N. Viswanathan, Secretary of South India Cotton Association (SICA), which has focused on promoting ELS cotton areas in the State to bridge the shortage in the crop needed by the textile industry in the region.

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