Bt Cotton varieties released in India are equipped to protect the crop against bollworm and not increase yield, a senior Monsanto official has clarified.

“Farmers have been misled that three transgenic hybrid cotton varieties released by Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco) last year would increase the yield,” according to T M Manjunath, to director of the Monsanto Research Centre, a division of US based Monsanto Holdings.

“They are not high-yielding varieties but equipped to resist around four types of bollworm (lepidopteron moths), which have been known to lead to major crop loss from 25-80%.” Monsanto owns a 26% in Mumbai-based Mahyco.

Referring to reports that Mahyco’s Bt cotton seeds have failed to yield results in several states where it was sown by farmers, Mr Manjunath said, “There were several factors that led to losses for farmers in some areas.

During ‘02, the severe drought and para-wilt (disease) led to crop failure in some areas. But nowhere was bollworm responsible for the failure of Bt cotton.” The detractors of transgenic plant varieties have no scientific basis for their resistance to genetically modified varieties that can serve several purposes from increasing yield, enhancing nutrition content to protection against pests and weeds.

 In a presentation at the “Knowledge Millennium III: The Business of Biotechnology”, organized here by the Associated Chambers of Commerce And Industry of India (Assocham), Mr Manjunath said 30% of the crop yield loss is due to factors like pests, disease and weeds. “Through introduction of transgenic hybrid varieties it is possible to reduce inputs like pesticides, labour and water.’’

As against 1.7m hectares of land in which genetically modified crops were first introduced in ‘96 in the US, currently 15 countries are cultivating various transgenic crops like cotton, corn and soybean over 58.7 m hectares.

The global market has grown from $148m to $3.8 bn in ‘01, and is estimated to grow to $5bn by ‘05.“We are now trying to identify genes to develop indigenous hybrid varieties that are resistant to cold, drought and herbicide. The work is being done both here and in the US,” said Manjunath.

A herbicide resistant soyabean variety developed using gene brought from the US was sent for approval last year prior to large-scale field trials. “This soyabean variety enables farmer to apply herbicide at any stage of crop growth without harming the crop, unlike in the normal case where it could destroy both the weed and the crop. With labour costs escalating, this herbicide resistant variety would be of great help to farmers,” he said.

Mahyco is currently conducting preliminary trials of the new hybrid soyabean at Jalna in Maharashtra.

Once approval is received for trial it can take another five years before reaching farmers for commercial cultivation.

Stating that science should not distinguish between an Indian and foreign company, Mr Manjunath disclosed that Mahyco is currently working on developing vegetable crops like tomato and cabbage that are pest resistant.

“The application preliminary field trials have been submitted, while work on greenhouse studies, which is part of the transformation stage, is currently on,” said Mr Manjunath.

The Monsanto Research Centre has grown considerably since ‘88 when it had three scientists. “Today we have around 60 scientistsand about 25 consultants.”

IANS[ MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2003 12:02:04 AM ]