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Bt cotton in butcher’s hand
By Ijaz Ahmad Rao
 Agricultural
use of genetically modified (GM) crops across the world has
increased almost seventy fold in the past ten years and is
set to double by 2015, says a study released by The
International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech
Application, a non-profit organization. It has been
estimated that GM crops were planted on 282 million acres
worldwide during 2007. At present, 23 countries plant such
crops, with a further 29 allowing imports for GM food or GM
animal feed. The GM seed industry is dominated by an
American company whose seeds are planted on more than 90 per
cent of global biotech acreage.
Adoption of Bt cotton has risen dramatically in the world
from 1.90 million acres in its introductory period in 1996
to 19.40 millions acres in 2006. Area planted to biotech
varieties increased to over one-fourth of the world total in
2005-06, and it is estimated that biotech varieties account
for 38 per cent of 86.5 million acres planted to cotton in
2006-07. It is remarkable that in the last cotton growing
season 78 per cent of cotton crops grown in USA, 70 per cent
in China and 80 per cent in Australia were with single or
multiple Bt genes. Where Bt cotton has been adopted, average
yield reportedly increased from 10 to 45 per cent while
pesticide cost declined by 65 per cent in China, 58 per cent
in South Africa, and over 50 per cent in India.
“There will be a doubling of the number of countries
involved, a doubling of the number of hectares and the
number of farmers involved will rise almost ten fold,” said
Clive James, chairman and founder of the ISAAA. “At a time
when you have soaring commodity prices and sky-rocketing
energy prices, you want a technology that will increase the
supply side and bring down the cost of production and this
is what you have in this technology,” he added.
India has reported the highest proportional increase of any
biotech crop country in the world with a gain of 63 per cent
in 2007. Area under Bt cotton rose from 0.11 million acres
in 2002 to some 3.1 million acres in 2005; five years later
the Bt cotton area has soared to 15.32 million acres which
is 66 per cent of the total estimated cotton area of 23.56
millions acres during the 2007-08 season; grown by 3.8
million small farmers. According to one assessment in India
Bt cotton has increased yield by up to 50 per cent, reduced
insecticide sprays by half and increased cotton growers
income by over Rs10 thousand per acre. Such extensive
coverage by the high yielding bollworm-resistant Bt cotton
has helped in boosting cotton production to an estimated all
time high cotton crop of 31 million bales in 2007-08 up from
28 million bales than last season.
Bt cotton has helped the country in narrowing the gap
between national and world average yields. India has
achieved high productions mostly by increasing its yield and
not increasing its area under cotton. Last year, India
exported 4.8 million bales and this season around 5.9
million is expected; so it is rightly to say that India has
shifted from traditionally cotton importing to cotton
exporting country since the adoption of Bt cotton, crops
maximization program and transparent government policy.
The Indian government has approved more than 62 cotton
hybrids—four events including double-stacked genes marketed
by 25 private seed companies during 2007-08. One event, the
GFM developed by Nath Seeds featuring fused genes cry 1Ab
and Cry 1Ac is sourced from China. An indigenous event is
developed by JK Seeds featuring Cry 1Ac gene is sourced from
IIT, Kharagpur. The rest of Bt technology in use in India is
owned by Monsanto, licensed to Mahyco and sub licensed to
other seed Companies. Experience and high adoption of Bt
cotton by farmers have confirmed the efficacy of Bt
technology for control of pests and their confidence in the
technology.
Although China is one of early adopter countries of Bt
cotton (since 1996), in 2007 India overtook China in terms
of the area under Bt cotton cultivation and the number of
genetically modified cotton seed in the pipeline for
approval. India began cultivation of Bt cotton in 2002, but
its area under Bt cotton has increased to 9.4 million acres
in 2006 exceeding for the first time, that of China’s 8.65
million acres. India is the only country to grow all four
species of cultivated cotton.
Chinese scientists have developed fifty-five new GM cotton
strains, bringing economic returns of 2.5 billion US
dollars. China has a cotton area of about 13.2 million
acres, the largest producer of cotton in the world—Bt cotton
is planted on 9.38 million acres during 2007-08 up from 8.65
million acres last year; which is equivalent to 69 per cent
of all cotton planted in China. At present level its cotton
production is equivalent to 46.0 million bales. China has a
remarkable experience of massive adoption of biotech crops
by small farmers who represent some of the poorest people in
the world.
It is worth mentioning that Bollgard II technology has a
unique and superior double gene technology, Cry 1Ac and
Cry2Ab derived from soil-borne bacterium, and provides
in-built protection against bollworms and spodoptera
caterpillar
In Pakistan, an all time record cotton crop of 14.5 million
bales achieved in 2004-05 on the other hand the worst
failure of cotton crop was seen in 1983-84 when its
production was at 2.78 million bales against year 1982-83
crop of 4.75 million bales—production remained less than 10
million bales during 1993-95, and 1998-1999 due to out break
of by cotton leaf curl virus and high temperature more over
humid climate condition has contributed to the eruption of
different Bollworms like Pink, Spotted and American, which
severely damaged the cotton crop in Sindh and Punjab
provinces.
Last year Pakistan imported 1.9 million bales at a cost Rs.
27 billion while this year our textile industry has imported
the highest 3.5 million bales of cotton worth Rs. 55 billion
from the USA, India and Central Asia due to crop shortage in
the country. It would be difficult for our textile industry
to compete textile giants like China, India, Bangladesh,
Vietnam, Indonesia and Sri Lanka in export of textiles when
we have to import a larger amount of cotton to meet
shortfall of our cotton requirements.
Scientists at National Institute of Biotechnology and
Genetic Engineering (NIBGE) Faisalabad, and National Center
of Excellence in Molecular Biology (NCEMB) University of the
Punjab, Lahore, are in the process of introducing Bt cotton
varieties with high tolerance against the cotton leaf curl
viruses, the Multan and Burewala strains.
Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) is
exploring all possible options to take on Biotech cotton as
soon as possible that’s why Minfal is negotiating with
different international sources from USA, China even India
in order to speedup in this regard.
However there are number of obstacles causing delays on Bt
cotton adoption:
1. All cottonseeds varieties (Bt and non Bt) are vulnerable
to the cotton leaf curl virus furthermore a unique cotton
pest mealy bug has emerged in cotton crops.
2. There is no hybrid cottonseed lines at public or private
institutes; moreover the existing cottonseed varieties have
very low yield
3. Although American technology from Monsanto is considered
more reliable and stable than other sources but its license
fee, royalty on Bt genes and technology is considered high
4. Political uncertainty in the country
5. Lack of political well
6. Weak IPRs system
7. No biotech policy
8. Large cotton growing area is under exotic and non
approved Bt cotton varieties
9. The sale of spurious Bt cotton seeds
10. Needed system for fast implementation and enforcement of
Biosafety Guidelines 2005
11. Amended Seed Act 1976 and Plant Breeders rights have to
be approved the parliament
12. Cotton seed Control Ordinance need to be activated to
check the quality of seeds
13. Poor enforcement system to control illegal & unapproved
Bt cotton seeds
The process to take on biotech cotton and other GM crops can
get faster if Monsanto can have joint venture with
Pakistan’s public institutes. It would be a wise approach to
speedup the process if the government of Pakistan allows to
carry-out biosafety assessment of Bt Cotton by Ministry of
Environment, Ministry of Health, and its seed (germplasm)
evaluation by Minfal side by side during the same season.
In the last three years illegal genetically engineered
cotton is spreading at a brisk pace in Pakistan despite
reluctance of some countries to adopt this technology.
According to Global Agriculture Information Network report
published in January 2008 the illegal Bt cotton varieties
planted in about 40 per cent of Pakistan’s cotton region.
According to 2006-07 estimates, 1 to 1.5 million acres which
is 15 per cent of total cotton area were under un approved
Bt cotton, whereas, during the current season 2007-08, the
area can easily cross 30 per cent mark (2.5 million acres)
of the total cotton growing area.
A survey report published in 2008 revealed that Bt
transgenic crop was widely grown in cotton growing areas of
Sindh and Punjab. The survey report “Status of cotton
harboring Bt-gene in Pakistan” was conducted in the cotton
growing areas of Sindh and Punjab during July-August 2007.
Laboratory investigations were carried out at National
Agriculture Research Center for detecting Cry protein. The
major objective was to investigate the presence or absence
of Cry toxin in Bt transformed cotton. In Sindh province 10
districts Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Sanghar, Mirpur Khas, Dera
Allah Yar, Umer Kot, Matiari, Khairpur, Sukkur and Nowshero
Feroze were surveyed and samples of cotton were collected
from 42 different locations. It was observed that almost 80
per cent of the cotton growing area in Sindh has become
under illegal and non-approved Bt cotton. An exotic source
of Bt cotton named as Australian Bt was found in the field.
Similarly 11 districts Multan, Khannewal, Lodhran,
Bahawalpur, RY Khan, Vehari, Bahawalnagar, Pakpatten,
Sahiwal, Jhan and Faisalabad were surveyed in the Punjab and
samples of 84 field different sites were collected. Almost
50 per cent area has been occupied by non-approved Bt cotton
in these districts. Bt-121 cotton variety has occupied the
major area. Beside Aus-Bt cotton genotype other source of Bt
cotton local origin was also prevalent in the field.
According to survey in Sindh province, district Sanghar has
the maximum area over 90 per cent under illegal Bt cotton.
Similarly in Punjab Khanewal, Vehari and Bahawalnagar have
the maximum area over 60 per cent under non-approved Bt
cotton.
All positive samples harbored Cry1Ac/Ab gene, whereas none
of the sample was found to have Cry2Ab and Cry1F genes.
According to the study the level of Bt gene expression
varied from low to high indicating that source of seed is
different. Threshold level of Bt protein is very important
extremely low level of Bt toxin may lead to development of
cross-resistance. A wider range of segregation 10-20 per
cent was observed in some of the Bt cotton fields. Sever
infestation of armyworm and sucking pests was observed in
the fields of Bt cotton. All the Bt transformed germplasm is
very susceptible to CLCuV. This will play a role in the
evolution of new virus strains as it has happened in case of
“Burewala virus” resulting in huge losses to cotton crop in
the country.
The report highlight that the Bt gene has been transformed
into such genetic backgrounds as they do not meet the fiber
quality standards in some of the Bt cotton fiber length was
shorter when compared with a non transgenic approved cotton
variety.
Most of the growers planted Bt cotton first time they only
know the word “Bt”. Majority of them do not have exact
awareness about the resistance mechanism of non-approved Bt
cotton against pests. Moreover very wrongly they think Bt
cotton has resistance against all kinds of insects and
diseases. Probably it has been propagated by seed companies
as marketing trick. However most of the farmers were quite
clear about the source and name of Bt transformed genotypes.
The source of seed was some private seed companies,
progressive farmers and researchers.
Bt cotton is being grown with different names i.e. IR-901,
IR-2403, IR-2316, Bt-1524, IR-1000, IR-2389, IR-2456, NIBGE
1, ASR-10, ASR-5, ASR-12, ASR-2, ASR-7, Bt-446, Bt-473,
Bt-496, CP-140, Bt-121, BR-102, BR-103, Bt-448/10, MG-1,
MG-2, MG-3, FH-113, Bt-196, Bt-133, Bt-Karishma, Bt-448-133
and Bt-101. Of all these genotypes Bt-121 occupied more than
40 per cent and was relatively better than other Bt cotton
as regard to uniformity.
People involved in this illegal business are making windfall
profits without any remorse, and poor farmers are being
swindled in the name of Bt. The farmers have no way of
knowing whether the seeds they are getting have the Bt gene
or are merely spurious seeds.
National Biosafety Guidelines 2005 must be followed to
approve all GM crops varieties. This will encourage the
introduction of this advanced technology through legal means
with complete package of benefits.
Moreover it has been reported that this year the Punjab Seed
Corporation (PSC), a semi autonomous government body which
provides certified cotton seeds to the farmers, was alleged
to have purchased cotton seed of non-approved varieties of
Bt cotton from certain well-known farmers. A little while
back, the PSC had advertised sale of Bt cotton in national
newspapers. Last year PSC had opposed the sale and
cultivation of Bt cotton. A ban on the cultivation of non
approved Bt cotton is still in place. If the private-sector
companies had sold the cotton seed of banned varieties, they
would have been tagged “seed mafia” but the government
institution’s malpractice went unnoticed.
We can reap the benefits of new technology if we take the
correct, legal and ethical steps with strict compliance to
our own regulatory systems, provided there are immediate and
effective measures taken to curb the thriving illegal
business and uncontrolled use of technology, provided an
appropriate environment is created for public and private
sectors to ensure effective incentives for R&D and
commercial release of these varieties. However, by allowing
the unapproved Bt cotton varieties actually we are not
helping our farmers nor doing any service to the country. It
will send wrong message to the potential investors in this
sector and depriving our public sector institutions who are
involved in the development of Bt cotton. It would be in our
interest to safe our national trade identity cotton from any
butcher hands who want to gamble on our strategic and
economical assist.
Courtesy:
Ijaz Ahmad Rao – Bahawalpur
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Pakissan.com;
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