Debate hots up over Bt impact on cotton output

A bumper cotton crop this year coupled with a sharp increase in yield per hectare has rekindled a debate in the industry on whether Bacillusthurigiensis (Bt) cotton is responsible for the growth.

While there is a positive sentiment in the market about the hybrid variety, a few discordant voices in the form of studies done in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra paint a different picture altogether.

"Spurred by the hybrid varieties of cotton we are seeing an increase in production for the past few years now. The growth has been accentuated by Bt cotton and there is no doubt that it ensures better yield," said K S Jhunjhunwala,East Indian Cotton Association President.

Prerana Desai, senior Research Associate at Refco Commodities Pvt Ltd exudes similar sentiments. "The yield is better in states like Gujarat, Haryana,Punjab and Rajasthan and Bt cotton has made a considerable difference,"she said.

There are a few with a different view. D K Nair, General Secretary, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) believes the hybrid variety has only played a small part.

"The area under Bt cotton cultivation despite witnessing a steady growth, is still very small and hence there are other factors like improvement in farming practices and right use of pesticides that had a more profound impact," he said.

In the midst of this confusion, the area under Bt cotton is on the rise. Nair sees this as an indication of increasing acceptance of Bt cotton in the farming community.

"Bt cotton was not meant to increase yield in the first place. But there are definite positives that have emerged from it and perhaps yield is one of them," he added.

A few studies have, however, suggested that far from increasing yield, farmers are having problems recovering costs particularly in Andhra Pradesh.

Results of a three-year study (2002-2005) on the impact of Bt cotton in Andhra Pradesh by the Deccan Development Society and the AP Coalition in Defence of Diversity show that yield for Bt hybrids was 30 per cent lower than non Bt hybrids. Further the study also reveals that overall profitabilty was also down by 10 per cent.

Similarly, a Delhi-based research organisation Gene Campaign which has done extensive study on Bt cotton in Maharashtra found that the hybrid seeds are unable to resist pesticides significantly.

"The rise in yield is more due to local varieties doing well and Bt cotton has nothing to do with it. Infact, our study showed that farmers who invested in the seeds found it difficult to even recover costs," said Suman ahai,convener,Gene Campaign.

Nagpur-based Central Institute of Cotton Research (CICR) has found that Bt cotton becomes ineffective in its resistance to bollworms after 110 days. This criticism implies that the hybrid seeds fail to deliver the very basic criteria for which it was developed. "Last year was a relatively bollworm free year so the hybrid's effectiveness was not tested fully.

But the increase in yield was reported from the northern states where Bt cotton was not cultivated.So we did not find any direct link between increase in yield and Bt cotton," said an official from CICR.

With sowing already on for the next season and Bt cotton debuting in Punjab with positive feedback, the debate is likely to intensify further in the coming seasons.