Insect resistance in Bt-cotton increasing: Minister
If the government's reply in the Lok Sabha is any indication, insect resistance to Bt-cotton is increasing in India.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ram Nath Thakur said that approximately 95 percent of the area under cotton cultivation is occupied by Bt cotton (Gossypium hirsutum).
Although Bt cotton continues to control a major cotton pest [the American bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera)], the pink bollworm has developed resistance to the Bt protein and is becoming a major pest in all cotton-growing regions. He said that sucking pests have also been increasing in the cotton ecosystem over the past few years.
Higher expenditure on pesticides
The minister said that farmers now spend more on pesticides than during the initial phase of Bt-cotton's introduction.
Citing studies on the long-term impact of Bt-cotton in India, he said that Bt-cotton technology replaced a large portion of the area under various varieties with Bt-hybrids because the technology was only available in hybrid form in India.
Noting that Bt-cotton adoption has been shown to be a poor indicator of yield trends, he said it was a strong indicator of the initial reduction in pesticide use.
Asked about the steps taken by the government to protect indigenous cotton varieties, Thakur said that the ICAR-Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), Nagpur, is involved in germplasm conservation, documentation, and utilization of wild cotton species, perennial cotton species, and indigenous cotton species.
India witnessed a massive surge in cotton imports during the 2024-25 crop year (October-September). Replying to a question on cotton imports in the Lok Sabha, Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh said that India imported 41.39 lakh bales worth ₹11989 crore in the crop year 2024-25, while 15.19 lakh bales worth ₹5483 crore were imported in 2023-24.
During the crop year 2024-25, India imported 8.56 lakh bales of cotton worth ₹2908 crore from the US. This was followed by 8.54 lakh bales worth ₹2131 crore from Brazil and 8.49 lakh bales worth ₹2367 crore from Australia.
read more :- Record cotton imports in 2024-25, US top supplier
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