All about Bt cotton

The book answers most of the frequently asked questions such as what is regarding Bt technology in a simple manner a 8216;one-stop-destination8217; for all aspects of transgenic technology in general and Bt-cotton in particular,which and should be useful to scientists,teachers,students,policy makers,seed companies,NGOs and progressive farmers and other stake holders.

Bt cotton,developed for control of bollworms,the most destructive insect pests of cotton,continues to be the only agri-biotech product approved by the Indian government for commercial cultivation since March 2002. As it enters into its 10th year,Bt cotton has made tremendous progress as evident by an exponential increase in its cultivated area from 29,000 hectares in 2002,the first year,to over 10 million hectares in 2010,which accounted for a staggering 92 of the total cotton area in India. The number of farmers adopting this technology also increased from 20,000 in 2002 to over 6 million in 2010. Further,India turned from an importer of cotton to an exporter,Bt-cotton being acknowledged as one of the major factors contributing to this progress.

Benefits from Bt cotton include a significant increase in cotton yield due to effective control of bollworms,reduction in chemical sprays and attractive profits to farmers with no scientifically proven adverse effects on humans,animals or the environment, said Manjunath.

8221;This publication has a lot of educational importance with respect to transgenic crops and should be a constant companion for those interested in this area,8221; said Dr C D Mayee,chairman,Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board.