New Delhi, March 9: Despite Monsanto admitting that its Bt cotton (Bollgard-1) had failed to control pests in four districts of Gujarat, GEAC, apex regulator of genetically-modified crops, has cleared the Bollgard-2 variety, which has two Bt resistant genes, thereby increasing its toxicity.
Bt cotton (Bollgard-1) carries the Cry1Ac gene, sold as a solution to the bellworm pest.
Bollgard-2 is a second-generation variety and contains Cry1Ac and Cry2 Ab.
Environmental groups believe the single-protein Bollgard-1 variety’s failure will make Monsanto drive farmers to switch to the double-protein Bollgard-2 version, which is far more expensive to use.
Dr Vandana Shiva said: “Bollgard-2 is going to be twice as costly as Bollgard-1. Also more dangerous — as every cell of the plant (Bt cotton) is providing toxic pressure on the pest, it can mutate itself and become resistant even to this.”
Dr Shiva added: “This will create ... new pests which have not been seen in India before, and can threaten (India’s) food security.”
GEAC chairman M.F. Farooqui, who is additional secretary in the environment ministry, confirmed that Bollgard-2 had been cleared, saying it happened before his elevation to the post in December.
“The issue of pink bellworm, a major pest, becoming resistant to Bt cotton is something GEAC will be examine shortly,” Mr Farooqui said.
“We will look into the findings and the methodology used to arrive at this conclusion,” Mr Farooqui added.
Another member of the GEAC, Mr Ananda Kumar, who is director of the National Research Centre of Plant Bio-Technology, said for several decades scientists had called for tighter regulation in the seed sector to ensure safer farming practices.
Rashme Sehgal