M A I N   N E W S

New Bt cotton varieties approved
Complete cotton sowing soon, advises PAU
Sarbjit Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 28
After the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) rejected the commercial release of the Mech- 915 variety of Bt cotton for northern states, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (CAR) today approved seven alternative Bt cotton varieties for trial sowing in the Punjab-Haryana region this year.

Official sources in Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) said the university today received a communication from the ICAR in this connection. At the national level, the GEAC has mandated the ICAR for getting the trial sowing of various Bt cotton hybrids conducted in north India.

The repeated failure of the cotton crop in the Punjab-Haryana- Ganganagar belt has become a big issue in this part of the country. American bollworm, which has been attacking the cotton crop for the past many years, has emerged as a big villain in the cotton belt. The failure of the cotton crop has not only hit the agriculture diversification campaign but also economically destabilised farmers in the cotton belt. Farmers had been eagerly awaiting the release of cotton varieties immune to bollworm.

The Bt cotton hybrids approved for trial sowing in this region this year are Ankur-651, 2225, 2534, RCH-134 and 138 and Mech 6301 and 6304. Ankur has embedded Bt genes in its non-transgeneic hybrids, which will be put to trial for the first time in this region. RCH-134 and 138 sown last year on a trial basis have been found less susceptible to the leaf curl virus compared to Mech-915 and 162.

The RCH-134 and 138 varieties are being repeated for trial sowing as it is mandatory to do as per the ICAR instructions. A decision to reject or select on the basis of two years’ data on trial production a variety is taken.

Meanwhile, the PAU has this year recommended five non-transgeneic hybrids for sowing in Punjab. These are LHH-144, F-1861, LH-1556, Ankur -651 and white gold. It is the first time that the PAU has approved two privately produced varieties — Ankur-651 and white gold — for commercial sowing. Sources said 30 non-transgeneic hybrids of cotton not approved by the PAU had been on sale Punjab for the past several years. The PAU, therefore put all such hybrids to trial sowing in the past two years. Only two hybrids — Ankur-651 and white gold — have been found suitable for Punjab as these have a good yield and also resist the leaf curl virus.

Meanwhile, the PAU has recommended to complete cotton sowing in this region by month-end. However, even 10 per cent of the cotton crop has not yet been sown in the state. Early sowing of the cotton crop was recommended to protect it from the various pests, including American bollworm. As farmers are not getting adequate water to irrigate their fields, cotton sowing has been delayed.

The university has recommended not to spray any synthetic pesticide on the cotton crop after September 15.

Meeting today

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has convened a crucial meeting on cotton at Punjab Bhavan here tomorrow. Besides officials of the Punjab Agriculture Department, experts from the PAU have been invited to the meeting which will deliberate on Bt cotton.