In a major benefit for famers, the desi variety of Indian cotton seed is rapidly replacing Bt cotton seed which farmers adopted in a big way this kharif season.
Developed by the Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), Nagpur, the desi cotton variety has the potential for much higher yield than Bt cotton and also the benefit of weeds and pests resistance. Introduced early this century, Bt cotton crop has witnessed an intermitted pest attacks which according to Kavita Gupta, Textiles Commissioner, Ministry of Textiles, damaged cotton crops in a significant way in Punjab and Haryana in 2015-16.
“India has commercialized desi cotton variety which has potential for much higher yield than Bt cotton and also benefits of pests and weeds resistance capability. Also, the desi variety is longer staple in nature which might replace some quantity of long staple cotton. Thus, the desi variety offers better realization than Bt and other conventional varieties of cotton. Consequently, farmers are aggressively adopting desi variety of cotton seeds,” said Gupta on the sidelines of the second Cotton Advisory Board (CAB) meeting here on Friday.
Gupta, however, did not give any specific figure of the potential for increase in yield of desi variety and also area shifted this year under this newly launched local variety of hybrid cotton seed.
She, however, confirmed that the desi variety of cotton would get greater traction from farmers in coming years with proportionate decline in the significance of Bt cotton area.
The development assumes significance as cotton crop has witnessed intermittent attacks of whitefly and pink ballworm attacks. Two of the last three years i.e. in 2015-16 and 2017-18 (current season), whitefly attacks have been reported in Punjab and Haryana in addition to pink ballworm attacks in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
But, cotton output for the crop year 2017-18 (October–September) is estimated to increase in double digit due to a sharp increase in acreage. Data compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture showed 18 per cent increase in India’s cotton acreage until mid-August.
The CAB in its second Advanced Estimates projected India’s cotton output at 34.5 million bales (1 bale = 170 kgs) for the crop year 2016-17 despite 11 per cent decline in acreage to 10.84 million ha. For 2017-18, however, Gupta estimates acreage to remain at 11.9 million ha.
“There are reports of pink ballworm attacks in cotton crop in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and whitefly attack in Punjab and Haryana. But, better crop management and efficient protection mechanism would reduce its impact on the productivity this year,” said Gupta.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh has replaced Pakistan in terms of cotton import from India with over 40 per cent of market share so far this year. China is likely to remain India’s second largest cotton destination in 2016-17.
With apprehensions over cotton availability in 2016-17, India’s cotton exports are likely to decline this year (2016-17) to 6 million bales compared to 6.9 million bales for 2015-16.