Embracing New Technologies
March 17, 2010 Cotton is an immensely important crop for the sustainable economy of India and livelihood of about 4 million farmers and 3 million textile workers in the country. It is cultivated in 9 to 10 million hectares and contributes to about 20 percent of the global cotton production.
Evidence indicates that cotton has been in use in India for over 5000 years. Archeological evidences clearly show that Indian civilization was the earliest to master the art and craft of ginning, spinning and weaving cotton cloth. India was known as the cradle of the finest cotton fabrics ever known to have been produced by man. The world famous Indian Dhaka muslins were woven from the indigenous Indian origin desi cotton species Gossypium arboreum with mean fibre length of 18 to 24 millimeters, but the yarn was one of the finest ever heard of with 345 to 356 counts. India was a world leader in the cotton textile trade until the 17th century. However, the invention of spinning machinery in the 18th century that was suitable for American cotton, G. hirsutum, changed the cotton scenario immensely thereafter.
The Cotton Boom
When India gained independence, its cotton area was 64 percent under desi cotton species, G. arboreum, 28 percent under G. herbaceum and 8 percent under G. hirsutum. With sustained scientific efforts, there was enormous improvement in quality and production. In the 50 years after independence, cotton production in India increased from a meager 0.39 million metric tons in 1947 to 2.99 million tons in 1997 and increased to an all-time record of 5.35 million tons during 2007-08, with average productivity of 560 kg lint per hectare.
During the decade prior to 2002, cotton production in India was in constant crisis due to insecticide-resistant bollworms that were responsible for excessive use of insecticides and stagnant production of 2.55 to 2.99 million tons per year. It is widely believed that the commercialization of biotech cotton in India in 2002 has provided a breakthrough in doubling yields and reducing insecticide usage on cotton by 40 to 50 percent.
Currently, the varieties and hybrids of G. hirsutum occupy 92 percent of the cotton area. Until a decade ago, Indian cotton was comprised of 7 percent short staple, 35 percent medium staple, 23 percent superior medium, 32 percent long staple and 3 percent extra long staple. However, after the introduction of biotech cotton in the form of hybrid varieties in 2008, 66 percent of the cotton produced was long staple and the rest was of the superior medium category.
Cotton fabric is still the most preferred textile in India. Currently, cotton contributes about 55 to 65 percent of the total raw material needs of India’s textile industry. Export of Indian cotton increased recently to 1.44 million tons in 2007. Efforts are being made to strengthen research initiatives to utilize biotechnology for the enhancement of quality and production of extra long staple cotton in India.
Presently, biotech cotton is available in India as bollworm resistant “Bt cotton,” which incorporates genes from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). There are three genes, cry1Ac, cry2Ab and cry1C deployed thus far for bollworm control. Biotech cotton varieties with cry1F and vip3 genes and also herbicide-resistant varieties, with “Roundup-Ready-Flex” technology are currently under regulatory testing and expected to be available soon. As new technologies emerge, it is now increasingly believed that appropriate stewardship can enhance the potential benefits from the new biotech products.
Addressing Technology Issues
An assessment of the current production constraints in India shows that there are technology-related issues that need attention. Some of the issues and the possible interventions related to policy and research are discussed below. The biotech Bt cotton is available to farmers as 620 hybrid varieties across India. The relative suitability of the hybrids for various agro-ecological zones of the country is now being established through farmer participatory field experiments and farmers are being educated on the appropriate choice of the specific hybrid varieties for their zones so as to harness the full potential and enhance productivity.
Seed companies are being asked to develop biotech Bt hybrid varieties that can tolerate sap-sucking insects, so that insecticide usage can be reduced substantially. Recently, publicly funded institutions have developed biotech Bt varieties and have started providing seeds to farmers at low prices. There are serious efforts to develop and identify varieties for specific agro-ecological zones and encourage their cultivation only in specific regions based on the quality requirements of the textile industry.
Since the reduction in insecticide use has caused enhanced infestation of minor pests such as mealybugs and mirid bugs, biological control efforts through field releases of parasitoids and predatory beetles are being intensified for the control of mealybugs and other sap-sucking pests. New genes for RNA interference-based pest control through genetically modified technologies are being explored to enhance the gene spectrum for sustainable pest control. Attempts are being made to develop biotech methods to reduce gossypol in seeds, enhance drought tolerance, enhance fibre strength and confer resistance to cotton leaf curl virus and other diseases. Efforts are being made to disseminate Insecticide Resistance Management Strategies for sucking pests and Cry toxin resistance management in bollworms to delay resistance development.
Crop production technologies have been developed to reduce the cost of production, harvest rain water and optimize input resources, apart from overcoming physiological and nutritional deficiencies. In view of competitive pricing, precision-grading methods and better marketing facilities have been developed in India under the cotton technology mission program. The market yards have been completely modernized and ginning and pressing technologies have been improved vastly in recent times. Awareness campaigns are being conducted regularly by extension agencies to educate farmers and the general public on potential benefits and bio-safety issues of genetically modified technologies in cotton.
While it is clear that the new biotech technologies have been creating a perceptible revolution of cotton production in India, government-assisted programs are being implemented to ensure that profitability can be enhanced and the benefits continue to be harnessed for the longest possible time through timely research and policy-related interventions.
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