Mahyco Monsanto

Pesticide use against bollworms dropped by 65-70% on most farms, Yields increased on an average by 30%.

New Delhi, January 20, 2003: Nearly 55,000 cotton farmers who have harvested insect-protected BollgardÔ, the first ever biotech crop to be planted in India in Kharif 2002, report a 65-70 per cent reduction in the use of pesticides and an increase in income of about Rs 7,000 per acre. The in-built protection against bollworm in the Bt cotton seed resulted in yields increasing by 30%.

Comprehensive information compiled by Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (India) Ltd. (MMB), from a large sampling of farmers who have completed their final pickings in five states, show that the three varieties of Bt cotton hybrids they planted lived up to expectations. All the three hybrids - MECH 12, MECH 162 and MECH 184 - had been tested extensively for six years, two years in greenhouses and four years in field trials. In Tamil Nadu, harvesting is yet to be completed, but farmers are excited by the performance of the crop so far.

The sample studies show the following:

State	Reduction in pesticide use/acre	Increase in yield (quintals/acre)	Increase in income/ acre
Maharashtra	Rs 720/-	3.26	Rs 7250/-
Gujarat	Rs 530/-	3.42	Rs 7370/-
Andhra Pradesh	Rs 1090/-	2.41	Rs 5930/-
Karnataka	Rs 610/-	2.93	Rs 6480/-
Madhya Pradesh	Rs 950/-	4.33	Rs 9600/-
All India (average)	Rs 770/-	3.24	Rs 7260/-

Four teams from the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), comprising officials from the Department of Biotechnology, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health, also monitored the crop. Scientists from the Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), were involved in the monitoring operations.

Scientists from Gujarat Agricultural University at Anand, the Main Cotton Research Station at Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh and Dharwad Agricultural University in Karnataka, as well as other research institutions, also took a keen interest in the farmers' experience with the crop.

Based on the reports from the official teams, the Union Environment Minister, Mr T.R. Baalu, told the Rajya Sabha on December 13, 2002, that the performance of this cotton in terms of "higher number of bolls, reduced number of sprays for control of bollworms and higher yields harvested so far" has been found to be "satisfactory".

According to Dr C. D. Mayee, Director, CICR, "The performance of the three hybrids has shown that the Bt gene is highly effective against all the three prevalent species of bollworms. Our experience clearly indicated the superiority of MECH hybrids -- on an average at least three sprays could be avoided for bollworm management."

Dr Mayee, along with Dr S. K. Banerjee and Dr K. R. Kranthi of CICR, said that in two villages, Telgaon and Tishi in Saoner taluka of Nagpur district, farmers found that despite drought conditions, MECH 184 gave an yield of 3.88 quintals/acre against the local hybrid's yield of 2.94 quintals/acre. Similarly, MECH 162 gave an yield of 3.46 quintals/acre as against 2.74 quintals/acre of the local hybrid.

The most enthusiastic endorsements have come from farmers. "The Bt cotton seeds have performed much better than we expected. Not only did I have to spray less, saving on time and labour, but my yield also went up considerably and I have earned extra income this year. I will plant Bollgard again next year," says farmer Pedli Malla Reddy of Ontimadipally village in Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh.

Farmer Ishwara Padmaraj Maviloor of Chikkalinqudhalli village in Bellary district of Karnataka said: "Fears that Bt cotton is best only for big farmers in America and Australia have been proved wrong. This plant can be grown by any farmer who is ready to try it. I only wish the cost of the seeds was lower."

"It's a huge relief for us because spending on pesticides was so much. It will be very beneficial to us," said Ishwarbhai Patel, a cotton farmer in Idar, a drought-prone town in the western state of Gujarat.

Mr Santosh Rao Daspute, ex-MLA from Bhokardan, Maharashtra's Jalna district, planted Bollgard on five acres in village Warshed. "I had to spray only twice for bollworm and I got 40 quintals of cotton. Bollgard has definitely proved beneficial to farmers. Next year I will plant it on eight acres."

Farmer Laxman Shriram Patil, Secretary of the Service Co-operative Society, Piplod, Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh, grew MECH 184 on one acre and says: "I spent less money on spraying insecticide, the number of bolls per plant were greater and I harvested 15 quintals without any tension. I have been cultivating cotton for the last 15 years, but I have never seen such a good yield with low sprays. Next year, I will plant Bollgard cotton on the maximum possible area of my land and also advise my farmer friends to grow more Bollgard."

Bollgard is one of the most extensively researched crops, globally and in India. The GEAC approved it in March 2002, after a rigorous scrutiny of field data generated over four years by Mahyco and Government research institutions like ICAR. This is the first and only approved biotech crop in India. Its planting last June was preceded by an extensive education programme for farmers, dealers and agriculture extension officials. Farmers were also supplied conventional cotton seed for planting as refuge, as per the conditions laid down by the GEAC. MMB field staff were at hand to guide and advise farmers at every stage.

Bt cotton is targeted specifically at the bollworm, which is the most destructive of cotton pests in India. While the need to spray against the bollworm may not be eliminated, it is greatly reduced. To obtain the most effective control of bollworms, farmers were trained in the scouting process to determine when supplemental sprays were necessary.

Environmental factors like drought, untimely rain and even unusually heavy rain play a major role and impact any crop, regardless of whether it is conventional or derived through biotechnology. For instance, the new wilt phenomenon localised within some districts was a result of drought and unusual weather conditions this year - excess rainfall over a brief period, followed by very high temperatures of as much as 40° C. According to Dr Mayee, this phenomenon was "not restricted to Bt cotton. The malady is universal to all hybrids and is because of physiological changes induced by the typical rainfall pattern of this year." Farmers who experienced this phenomenon were guided on how to handle it with the help of CICR scientists. As a result, in some of these districts the plants revived and yields were higher than those for non-Bt cotton. ###