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Controversy with BT cotton in India
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BT or Bacillus thuringiensis is a naturally occurring bacteria which grows on soil. Now a day’s farmers use this bacterium for controlling Lepidopteran insects because it produces a toxin. Scientists have transferred the gene which produce toxin into a range of crops through genetic engineering. In case of Bt cotton, this toxin producing gene has been inserted into the cotton and it does show resistance to some kind of insects. The quality of insecticidal gene of Bt is expressed during the growing cycle of the plant. Cotton crops are easily attacked by pests. More than 10 per cent of the world's pesticides and over 25 per cent of insecticides are used for cotton crops.

Cotton was one of the first crops that was genetically engineered by the US-based agrochemical multinational Monsanto, whose transgenic Bollgard (Bt) cottonseed varieties were a big draw among farmers around the world. BT cotton was started with the promise of reducing the insecticide use and a better resistance to pest attacks, which leads to a rise in yields and reduction of costs. So Bt cotton became a safe and cost effective alternative to conventional cotton seeds.

But the problem is only the bollworm complex comprising the Pink Bollworm, the Spiny bollworm, the spotted bollworm, and American bollworm, these are targeted by the Bt toxin. For example - American Bollworm which attacks the plant after 60 days of sowing is killed by the BT toxin Cry1Ac which is approved for commercialization. And Cry1A is specific only for American Bollworm. The plant is attacked by the pink bollworm after 130 days of sowing - the time of the first pick. Cry1Ac has only a moderate effect on the Pink bollworm. As a result none of the Mahyco hybrids has any impact on pests such as Thrips, Aphids and Jassids, which attack the plants during its early phase. Thus while the number of sprays against the bollworm is counted, it is shown that the use of pesticides against the other pest is still high.

5 per cent of the total crop area in India is cotton and it spends a huge amount of money for using pesticides. About 55 per cent of all pesticides are used by India. Plants were treated with intensified chemical use which led to a dramatic rise in pest infestation. As a result they are showing resistance to insecticides. For increasing chemical costs and decreasing price of cotton thousands of cotton farmers in India were pushed in India, where the majority of the 17 million cotton cultivating families subsist on less than two hectares, into a vortex of debt.

It was really impossible to face the consequences of crop failures and mounting debts, as a result thousands of farmers across the country have ended their lives in the last five years. We hope that a new variety of Bt cotton will be produced that will be able to show resistance to more number of insecticides and the cost for insecticides will be reduced.
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Controversy with BT cotton in India00