Time of sowing and harvesting play a key role?
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first-generation single-protein( Bacillus thuringiensis) Bollgard I cotton in four states in Western India. Monsanto’ s first-generation single-protein Bollgard I cotton( MON531) uses a naturally occurring Bt protein( Cry1Ac) to control insect pests. While as per company, the resistance is natural and expected, the detection of pink bollworm resistance to Bollgard I posed a significant threat to the nearly 5 million farmers who were planting the product in India.
Then came the Bollgard II, a second-generation cotton seed that contains two different Bt proteins which replaced Bollgard I in all of cotton seed markets. It was said to provide additional and more robust protection against the bollworm. However, the history seems to have repeated itself here as the insect is no longer afraid of the so called resistant variety.
There may be slight differences in versions but the experts are unanimous in terming the threat as real and situation alarming.
“ Bollworms are still the most dangerous pests of cotton, as they thrive on boll or fruit of cotton which contains Kapas or fibre, thereby causing severe economic damage,” says Dr S B Patil, Professor in Department of agricultural entomology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad.
Agrees the Entomologist B Rosaiah, former associate director of research at N G Ranga Agriculture University, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, said the pest is a problem in all the cotton growing countries and in India its attack is proven to be severe in late sown cotton crop-in July and harvested in November-December.
Time of sowing and harvesting play a key role?
Renowned scientist and now the President of South Asia Biotechnology Centre( SABC), Dr CD Mayee, feels that the pink bollworm is becoming a serious pest to cotton in central India where the crop is taken during monsoon season and sown on the onset of monsoon.
“ There is no problem of pink bollworm in Northern cotton growing areas where the crop is sown in April-May and harvested after two pickings for wheat sowing in subsequent Rabi season. Farmers
12 BioVoiceNews | October 2017