Monsanto to try new Bt cotton strains in India

Chennai, India
May 21, 2003

By M.R.Subramani
The Hindu Business Line
via Checkbiotech.org


Biotechnology major, Monsanto India is continuing its field trails of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton through other hybrids. The trials include by firms such as Rasi and Ankur that have been co-licensed by Monsanto to have access to its genes.

"A number of hybrids suitable for North India from Mahyco (Maharashtra Hybrids Seeds Co Ltd) and other companies which have got co-licence from Monsanto, are on trial," Ms Ranjana Smetacek, Director, Public Affairs, Monsanto India, told Business Line.

Under the co-licensing agreement, the firms getting Monsanto genes can have it inserted in hybrids developed by them.

Ms Smetacek was replying to questions on what Monsanto was planning after the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) rejected its Bt MECH-915 variety for sowing in the northern States.

GEAC had on April 25 rejected MECH-915 for sowing in North India on the ground that it was sensitive to leaf curl virus that affects cotton yield. Leaf curl virus is rampant in North India and the growers there are looking for varieties that are immune to the virus. North India cotton area comprises Punjab, Haryana and the Ganganagar tracts in Rajasthan.

According to Ms Smetacek, the trials are being held in various universities in North India besides Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) fields.

"Monsanto will continue to work with the Government to bring this technology to the cotton farmers in North India," Ms Smetacek said. Towards this, the firm has co-licenced its Bt gene to seven companies.

Views on the success of Bt cotton are divided with Monsanto saying that farmers benefited from growing its Bt varieties of MECH-12, MECH-162 and MECH-184 by at least Rs 7,200 per acre. The savings were through lower use of pesticide and increased yield. Opponents of the transgenic variety, however, say farmers, especially in Andhra Pradesh, lost by opting to grow the Bt cotton.

Meanwhile, Monsanto plans to sell more Bt cotton seeds this year. "Last year, seed supply was limited since the approval came in March-end. Therefore, we were able to supply only 80,000 packets of 450 gm,"Ms Smetacek said.

One 450 gm packet can be sown in one acre and last year, nearly 55,000 farmers had planted the Bt varieties in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. North India has been left out of this since a suitable Bt variety is yet to be approved for the region.

"This year, we plan to sell 7 lakh packets of 450 gms each along with 120 gm packets of conventional hybrid of the same variety," Ms Smetacek said. The conventional variety will have to be grown on the fringes of the field as per the GEAC's stipulations.

Asked if Monsanto will introduce any other Bt crop variety, Ms Smetacek said the firm was getting ready for field trial of its genetically-modified maize (corn) variety. "Otherwise, the company has no plans to come up with any other genetically-modified variety for the next 3-4 years,"she said.

The Hindu Business Line via Checkbiotech.org
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