Whitefly attack: Farmers prefer BT cotton varieties, PAU develops none
Farmers have outright rejected PAU-developed cotton seeds and prefer red BT seeds sold by private players, many of which aren’t PAU-approved.
3 min read
A cotton crop affected by whitefly in a field in Muktsar. (Source: Express Photo by Gurmeet Singh)Cotton farmers in the state are reeling under heavy losses after their crops failed due to whitefly infestation this year. The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) claims that farmers did not use seeds that it had recommended. It claims that this poor choice played a key role in the crops’ failure.
Data accessed by The Indian Express shows that farmers prefer to plant the BT variety of cotton. The PAU, however, has itself not developed a single variety of BT cotton.
Farmers have outright rejected PAU-developed cotton seeds and prefer red BT seeds sold by private players, many of which aren’t PAU-approved.
At least 99 per cent of the cotton seeds sowed in the state were of the BT variety, all privately developed. This is because BT cotton, a genetically modified crop, is resistant to many pests such as American ballworm, spotted ballworm, pink ballworm and tobacco caterpillar. They also have a high yield per acre.
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Almost 30 per cent of the BT cotton under cultivation is either BCHH 6488 or BCHH 6588 variety marketed by Sriram Bioseeds — both “not recommended” by PAU.
“But even BT varieties recommended by PAU perform poorly against whitefly,” said Pankaj Rathore, senior cotton breeder at PAU research station in Faridkot.
“The patent of the particular gene is with a multinational company called Monsanto and we do not have access to it currently. Not a single public sector institute develops the BT variety. Farmers have to depend completely on private players.”
PAU’s own varieties make up less than one per cent of the total cultivated area.
Even PAU-recommended seeds have not been resistant against whitefly.
“The data is absolutely right- 99 per cent is under private BT cotton cultivation. The PAU does not test all varieties available in the market,” said Gurdial Singh, joint director, state agriculture department. “They just give their verdict for a maximum of probably five to six varieties but what about the others in the open market? There would be atleast a 100 others. They are never tested and then the university officials blame farmers if it goes wrong. Why should farmers follow PAU recommendation when all varieties are not even tested?”
In fact, BCH 6588, one of the most popular varieties, has not been tested at all by PAU.
“BCHH 6488 can fall prey to leaf curl and para wilt disease while BCH 6588 has not been tested by PAU,” says the guidelines.
PAU recommended varieties of BT cotton seeds, which includes RCH 650, NCS 855, Ankur 3028, MRC 7017and MRC 7031, are not resistant to whitefly.
However, a PAU official questioned the agriculture department’s own role in the affair.
“We are blamed for not developing BT seeds. But the agriculture department is supposed to get the seeds checked before approving licence. Did they do their job?” asked the Punjab Agricultural University official.
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