Nath Biogene inks Bt cotton tech pact

Nath Biogene (I) Ltd and United Phosphorous Ltd have signed an agreement with Biocentury of China for transfer of technology related to Bt cotton.

Biocentury holds the rights to do research on Bt cotton conducted by the Chinese Agricultural Academy of Sciences, Beijing.

Nath Biogene is a leading seed company with a track record of research and development for the last two decades.

The company has tied up with United Phosphoros for marketing services.The agreement with Biocentury will provide Nath Biogene a fusion gene and has already been extensively tested in India on various locations.

The technology has covered almost 80 per cent of the cropped area under cotton in China.

Nandkishor Kagliwal of Nath Biogene underscored the role of Chinese Bt technology in sustaining cotton production.

Kagliwal said the synergy of Nath Biogene- United Phosphorous partnership is a new ray of hope for cotton growing farmers all over the country.

Nath Biogene hopes to get almost 20 seed producing companies of hybrid cotton in the net within this year, he said.

S K Raina, a leading scientist who has been working on the Bt cotton and rice technologies in Aurangabad, said Bt knowhow from China and Nath Biogene is the world's largest alternative technology to that of Monsanto's.