TEST ON UTILITY OF BT COTTON HYBRIDS
The Indian Council
of Agricultural Research is conducting evaluation of eight Bt
cotton hybrids in Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana. The evaluation
is being conducted through the All India Coordinated Cotton Improvement
Project centres. These centres are: Chowdhary Charan Singh Haryana
Agricultural University, Hisar; Punjab Agricultural University,
Research Station, Faridkot; Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana;
Central Institute for Cotton Research, Regional Station, Sirsa;
Rajasthan Agricultural University, Research Station, Sriganganagar.
Multi-locational
trials for two years is normally required for Bt cotton hybrids
for consideration of results.
Bt technology
in cotton is useful for incorporating resistance or tolerance
against damage due to American bollworm. It is expected that this
technology should be placed in location-specific and agronomically
proven cotton genotypes to obtain better yield under farmers’
field conditions. The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC)
set up under the Ministry of Environment and Forests has approved
commercial cultivation of three Bt Cotton hybrids of the Maharashtra
Hybrid Seed Company for a period of three years in Central and
South Zones of the country.
This
information was given by the Minister of State for Agriculture,
Shri Hukumdeo Narayan Yadav, in a written reply to a question
in the Lok Sabha today.
