MUMBAI: Riding on the Bt Cotton wave, India is leading a biotech revolution in the world. If the trend in countries like India and China are any indication, Asia will be the leader in biotech cultivation in the next 10 years.

According to a report from International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), India replaced China as the world\'s top grower of genetically modified (GM) cotton (Bt Cotton) in 2006.

Moreover, countries like Pakistan and Vietnam are jumping onto the GM bandwagon. ISAAA said India, which planted Bt Cotton for the first time in 2002, had tripled its area of insect-resistant Bt Cotton in 2006 to 3.8 million hectares against China\'s 3.5 million hectares.

Biotechology is helping farmers reduce cost and raise production on limited land everywhere. According to experts, Bt Cotton increased the incomes of some 6.8 million farmers as it cut pesticide use by 60 per cent, while raising yields by 10 per cent compared with conventional varieties.

The ISAAA said combined population of 2.6 billion of India, China, Argentina, Brazil and South Africa, which is 40 per cent of global population, grew 38.2 million hectares of genetically modified crops during 2006 which comprises 37 per cent of global cultivation.

Global GM crop cultivation increased to 102 million hectares in 22 countries during 2006, up from 90 million hectares in 21 countries during 2005, the report said.

More interesting factor is that India is leading the pack in biotech cultivation. It seems farmers in India are ready to embrace the GM culture as they found it more rewarding.

India is now the world\'s fifth largest biotech crops growing country, after overtaking China and Paraguay. Even though Bt Cotton is the only widely used GM crop in India, 15 more transgenic crops are also in the pipeline. These are being developed or field-tested by private biotech companies as well as by public sector research organisations. These include rice (ordinary and basmati), wheat, maize, black gram (urad), chickpea (chana), pigeon pea (tur), rapeseed and mustard, cabbage, cauliflower, brinjal, potato, tomato, muskmelon, banana, coffee and tobacco.

In Bt Cotton, 62 hybrids have already been officially approved for commercial cultivation. They are being marketed by companies like Mahyco, Rasi, Ankur Seeds, Nuziveedu Seed, JK Seeds, Nath Seeds, Ganga Kavery Seeds, Tulasi Seeds, Ajeet Seeds, Emergent Genetics, Vikki Agrotech, Pravardhan Seeds, Krishidhan, Prabhat and Vikram Seeds.

Another interesting factor is India is the only country to grow all the four species of cotton - Gossypium barbadense (Egyptian cotton), G hirsutum (American cotton) and G Arboreum and G Herbaceum (both Asian cottons). Of this, nearly 90 per cent of the total cotton output is of American cotton.

FAILURES

The success story of Bt Cotton turns into a tragedy in Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh. For farmers in this district - a major cotton producing area - Bt Cotton has brought in doom.

A study by experts said that Warangal Bt Cotton farming has led to \'agricultural deskilling\'\'. According to the experts, the Bt seed wave does not have an environmental basis, and farmers here generally lack recognition of what is actually being planted. This is a contrast to the highly strategic seed selection processes in areas where technological change is learned and gradual.

In Gujarat, the loss of corporate control over the Bt technology has led to an increased involvement of farmers in local breeding, and an apparent increase in knowledge-based innovation.

The findings of the study imply more woes for the district. Experts point out that \'deskilling problem\' precedes the use of Bt Cotton. Its root causes are reliance on hybrid seed, which must be repurchased every year, and a chaotic seed market in which products come and go at a furious pace and farmers often cannot tell what they are using.

Another tale of disaster is from Tamil Nadu, where BT cotton dealer Mahyco has given compensation to 125 farmers of Omalur and Kadayampatty areas for their losses in cultivation of BT Cotton.

At a function held in Poosaripatty near Omalur, state Agriculture Minister Veerapandy S Arumugam distributed compensation of Rs 9.86 lakh to 88 farmers. About 125 farmers of Omalur and Kadayampatty reported huge losses in cultivation of Mahyco Bt Cotton seeds in over 198 acres.

On the Agriculture Minister\'s instructions, Tamil Nadu Agriculture University (TNAU) scientists, several NGOs and environmental groups conducted studies to find causes for failure of Mahyco-supplied BT Cotton seeds in the region. TNAU studies reported that variation in soil condition was the major cause for BT seeds failure.

After this, the State Government held discussions with Mahyco and told the company to pay compensation of Rs 5,000 per acre to affected farmers.