ADVERTISEMENTThe team cracked the boll open and a beautiful, centimetre-long pink worm twirled up, as if to say hello. This is because that small worm had announced the beginning of the end of what was touted as India’s biggest success story of the genetically modified cotton, known as Bt cotton. The worm threatened cotton landscapes across India with devastating consequences for the already beleaguered growers since Bt cotton was essentially created to repulse infestations of bollworm complex. If the pink worm has developed resistance to Bt cotton, the Indian fabric industry has a mega-crisis on its hands. In 2024, the Indian agricultural scientific fraternity needs to wake up and devise an urgent cotton revival strategy — one that rests on sustainable practices while guaranteeing better returns to the grower.

Source: The Telegraph January 12, 2024 23:46 UTC