Pink bollworm incidence increased from 5.17 per cent to 73.82 per cent between 2010 and 2017 in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Adoption of Bt cotton rose to 81 percent in 2007 and 93 percent in 2011 as farmers thought pest-resistant varieties were their best bet. Unlike other crops, new seeds have to be bought from the market every time for the cultivation of GM varieties. ... All the claims made about Bt cotton have been proven wrong. As far as increase in yield is concerned, if you check the irrigation data, it will become clear that only production has not increased."
At a time when the much-hyped Bt cotton crop is troubling farmers, the central government is slowly setting the stage for the rollout of genetically modified mustard. Last October, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change approved field trials of Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11, developed by Deepak Pantal, former vice-chancellor of Delhi University. While the government argues that the genetically modified variety will increase mustard production and reduce the country's dependence on edible oil imports, anti-GMO activists are wary. In front of them is the poor performance of Bt cotton, the first genetically modified crop in the country.
He has seen how claims of better yield guarantees and less need for pesticides and chemical fertilizers have blown away with the wind. Apparently, the only things Bt cotton farmers found were barren fields and increased input costs.
Madhya Pradesh, which accounts for 18.69 lakh bales of cotton (5.47 lakh hectare) out of the total 352 lakh bales (in 1,18.81 lakh hectare) produced in the country. Khargone, Barwani, Khandwa and Burhanpur are the major cotton producing districts here.
According to the statistics of the Farmers Welfare and Agriculture Development Department, cotton is grown in a total of 2,11,450 hectares in Khargone. Chhagan Chauhan (50), a resident of Mogargaon, has come to Khargone's cotton market to sell 2.6 quintals of cotton. This year has proved to be better for him. "Today, I got Rs 8,500 per quintal. This price is good for me," he says with a smile. Last year, incessant rains and pest attacks destroyed half of his crop. “Ideally, the 10 packets of Bt cotton seeds that I sprinkled in the field should have yielded me around 40 quintals of cotton. But I got only 16 kg. Thankfully, the pests spared me this time.
Shyam (24), a resident of Temla, has been helping his father Anil Dhangar (55) cultivate Bt cotton on seven acres for the last two years. When asked about the challenges they face, Anil says, “Getting a good price for the produce and deworming are our biggest concerns.” He says, “Look, the pink colored moth (Pectinophora gossypiella) has made a home here by damaging the seed kernel. Now, this cotton boll will not become a flower to bear fruit. The only thing left is to remove it. be given to the field as soon as possible," he says, adding that the pest attack started late this year compared to last year, when about 40 per cent of the crop was affected.
There are four types of caterpillars found in cotton – pink bollworm, spotted bollworm, American bollworm and tobacco cutworm. Among them, attacks of pink and American bollworms are common in India. A 2018 survey conducted by the Central Institute of Cotton Research found that pink bollworm outbreaks had increased from 5.17 per cent to 73.82 per cent between 2010 and 2017 in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
Ironically, the government allowed commercial cultivation of the first generation Bt cotton (Bt-1 cotton) in 2002 to prevent pest attacks, while its second generation (Bt-II) was introduced in 2006 using two Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) was launched in combination. ) protein (Cry1Ac+Cry2Ab) with promise for specifically targeting the pink bollworm. Adoption of Bt cotton rose to 81 percent in 2007 and 93 percent in 2011 as farmers thought pest-resistant varieties were their best bet.
Regards
Team Sis
Any query plz call 9111677775
https://wa.me/919111677775
