AP govt seeks legitimising cultivation of herbicide-tolerant GM cotton

A group of Indian seed companies have also been engaged in legal battle with Monsanto over trait value among other patent-related claims

In a move that seeks to legitimise the cultivation of Roundup Ready Flex or Glycel BT hybrid cotton (BG II RRF), Andhra Pradesh government has set up a panel to study the efficacy of the seed in the fields based on a representation from local farmers.

The twin traits of herbicide tolerance as well as bollworm resistance have made this genetically modified (GM) hybrid cotton so popular among farmers in major cotton growing states that it now accounts for 15-20 per cent of cotton sowing area in the country, according to recent reports.

"Farmers of Amaravati Mandal, Guntur District have