13 Bt cotton varieties to get cultivation approval

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New Delhi, April 12: Even as the three-year performance of three varieties of Bt cotton of Mahyco remains under controversy, the country’s regulatory authority is slated to approve at least 13 new Bt cotton hybrids for commercial cultivation in central India.

The regulatory body, Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), is meeting on Wednesday to give its nod for commercial cultivation of four Bt cotton hybrids each developed by Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd and Rassi Seed Ltd, three such varieties developed by Mahyco and two such varieties developed by Ankur Seeds Ltd. Nuziveedu Seeds and Rasi Seed are sub-licencees of Mahyco-Monsanto Biotech, which holds the technology from the seed multinational, Monsanto.

The GEAC will also review the three-year performance of Mech-12 Bt, Mech-162 Bt and Mech-184 Bt of Mahyco, before extending the period of approval for another three-year period. Already four studies done by Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, Gene Campaign, Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, Deccan Development Society and Greenpeace International have shown failure of Bt cotton. Eminent scientist and Padma Bhushan awardee Dr Pushpa M Bhargava has also said that Bt cotton failed to perform. Only the survey conducted by the ad and market research agency, IMRB, has shown success of Bt cotton cultivation.

In its March 4 meeting, the GEAC had approved six Bt cotton hybrids -- two each developed by Rassi Seed, Mahyco and Ankur Seeds -- for commercial cultivation in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Bt cotton hybrids developed by Nuziveedu Seeds, which are likely to be approved on Wednesday for commercial cultivation in central India, are: NCS-145, Bunny Bt, NCS-207 and Malika Bt. Incidentally, a study report prepared by the the Delhi-based Gene Campaign shows illegal cultivation of Bunny Bt and Malika Bt in south India in 2004. The Gene Campaign study has shown that approved Bt cotton varieties failed to perform in south India.

Bt cotton hybrids of Rasi Seed which are likely to get the approval on Wednesday for commercial cultivation in central India, are: RCH-138 Bt, RCH-144 Bt, RCH-118 Bt and RCH-359 Bt. The Bt cotton hybrids of Mahyco, which are likely to be approved for central India, are: MRC-6160 Bt, MRC-6301 Bt and MRC-6304 Bt. The two Bt cotton hybrids likely to be approved for central India are Ankur-651 and Ankur-09.