The Hindu Business Line : Bollgard II cotton adopted in 1.2 m acres: Monsanto

Mumbai, Nov 22 The cultivation of Bollgard II version of genetically modified cotton has been adopted across 12 lakh acres in the country, up from about two lakh acres in its first year of cultivation last year. And this second generation technology is expected to increasingly gain acceptance among farmers due to its improved yield and better control of pest-resistance, said a Monsanto representative.

The first-generation Bollgard (Bt) cotton has been adopted across 144 lakh acres, about 63 per cent of India’s cotton acerage in 2007, and Bollgard II accounts for about 12 lakh acres, data provided by Monsanto said.

Spodoptera worm

The acceptance of Bollgard II will increase as farmers realise that apart from protecting better against bollworm attacks, Bollgard II also gives additional protection against spodoptera, an army worm, explains Mr Bipin C. Solanki, Monsanto’s Director – Industry Affairs.

With Punjab, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and parts of Maharashtra witnessing spodoptera attacks this year, farmers in these regions might be inclined to adopt Bollgard II, company officials said.

pest-resistance management

Also, Bollgard II has better pest-resistance management and requires one or no pesticide sprays on the crop, Mr Solanki points out. Farmers need to spray pesticide on traditional cotton between six to 10 times per season, on Bollgard it gets reduced to about one or two sprays and this further gets reduced to one or no sprays per season on Bollgard II, Mr Solanki said.

Bollgard cotton is genetically structured to fight three bollworms that attack cotton. Due to less crop-loss to pests, the farmer gains about four quintals per acre on Bollgard. And this benefit is further expected to increase as farmers gain an average two quintals more per acre from Bollgard II, as compared to Bollgard, he said.

Bollgard II steals a march over its predecessor in that it has a double gene technology that kills insects in two days. And this virtually negates the chance of the insect developing resistance to both genes, he said.

The resistance that pests may develop to this new technology has been a bone of contention with pro-green campaigners who have protested against the cultivation of genetically modified cotton fearing it will create a “super pest”.

Regulatory nod

Monsanto’s Bollgard cotton was the first biotech crop to get regulatory approval for commercialisation in the country in 2002 and the hybrid cotton-seeds were sold to local farmers by Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (India) Ltd (MMB), who sub-licensed the technology to 23 Indian seed companies.

Pricing issue

Pricing has also been a niggling issue in the past. Traditional cotton is sold at Rs 450 for 450 gm, as compared to Bollgard’s price of Rs 750 for the same quantity, plus 120 gm of non-BT cotton that is given free to be planted as a buffer to prevent cross-pollination, a company spokesperson said.

Bollgard II is priced at Rs 925 for the same quantity.

More Stories on : Cotton | Bio-tech & Genetics

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
‘Cost of credit remains a burden for farmers’

Climate change could decrease rice yields

Moolgiri rice launched in Kerala

Lower procurement

Assocham moots setting up of agri economic zone

Spot rubber rules steady

Bollgard II cotton adopted in 1.2 m acres: Monsanto

Bears continue to hammer pepper

Turmeric gains on demand, firm spot market

Out-priced

Orthodox tea output may top 140 mkg in 5 years