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Advisory / BIOTECHNOLOGY

BT-COTTON :
Can farmers in Pakistan afford not to grow it?

For many years, scientists have used traditional plant-breeding techniques to develop improved plant varieties with higher yields and greater resistance to pests, diseases, and environmental stresses. However, traditional plant-breeding techniques can be very time-consuming. Sometimes it may take up to 15 years or more before a new plant variety reaches the market. Furthermore, in traditional breeding, generally only closely related plant species can be used in cross breeding for the development of new varieties and hybrids.

Biotechnology - and, more specifically, genetic engineering - enables scientists to breach the reproductive barriers between species. Through the use of genetic engineering techniques, genes from one plant, animal, or microorganism can be incorporated into an unrelated species, thus increasing the range of traits available for developing new plants.

In the 1970s, a series of complementary advances in the field of molecular biology provided scientists with the ability to readily move DNA between more distantly related organisms. Today, this recombinant DNA technology has reached a stage where scientists can take a piece of DNA containing one or more specific genes from nearly any organism, including plants, animals, bacteria, or viruses, and introduce it into a specific crop species. The application of recombinant DNA technology frequently has been referred to as genetic engineering. Plants that have been genetically modified using recombinant DNA technology to introduce a gene from either the same or a different species also are known as transgenic plants.

In the United States, the first genetically modified food product - a delayed-ripening tomato - was marketed in 1994. Since then, genetically modified seeds have become available for many crops. In 1997, Monsanto Roundup Ready Commercialized first weed - and insect-resistant biotech crops for soybeans and Bollgard for insect-protected cotton.

International market

However, biotechnology refers generally to the application of a wide range of scientific techniques to the modification and improvement of plants, animals, and microorganisms that are of economic importance. But agricultural biotechnology is that area of biotechnology involving applications to agriculture. In the broadest sense, traditional biotechnology has been used for thousands of years, since the advent of the first agricultural practices, for the improvement of plants, animals, and microorganisms.

Driven by farmers' expectations of lower production costs, higher yields, and reduced pesticide use, the rate at which US farmers adopt genetically engineered (GE) crop varieties has jumped dramatically. About 98 million acres of GE crops were cultivated worldwide in 1999, a 43-per cent increase over acreage in 1998, and US acreage accounts for 72 per cent of this. However, actual benefits in terms of costs, yields, and pesticide use vary with the crop and engineered trait.

Bio-tech Cotton Products

Bollgard Insect-Protected Cotton - Bt Cotton (Developed by Monsanto):Introduced in 1996, cotton with Monsanto's Bollgard gene is protected against cotton bollworms, pink bollworms and tobacco budworms.

Second-Generation Bollgard Insect-Protected Cotton (Developed by Monsanto): This cotton controls insect pests, like the original Bollgard cotton, but using a different mode of action to help growers manage insect-resistance concerns.

Roundup Ready Cotton (Developed by Monsanto): Approved in 1996, Roundup Ready cotton tolerates both topical and post-directed applications of herbicide.

The Bollgard brand Bt cotton seed was sold at $34-36 as compared to $8-9 per hectare for non-engineered cotton seed. The average cost of control of cotton insect pests in the US was approximately $150 in the early 1990s. Hence the prices were still found to be attractive. The transgenics were found to be more effective against Helothis virescens as compared to pectinophora gossypiella and Heliothis zea.

Importance and application

Crops carrying herbicide-tolerant genes were developed to survive certain herbicides that previously would have destroyed the crop along with the targeted weeds. Farmers thus can choose from a broader variety of herbicides to control weeds. The most common herbicide-tolerant crops are Roundup Ready (RR) crops resistant to Glyphosate, a herbicide effective on many species of grasses, broadleaf weeds, and sedges. Glyphosate tolerance has been incorporated into cotton, corn, soybeans, and canola. Other genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops include Liberty Link (LL) corn resistant to glufosinate-ammonium, and BXN cotton resistant to bromoxynil. According to a surveyed carried out in USA Herbicides Tolerant (HT) cotton expanded from 10 per cent of surveyed acreage in 1997 to 26 per cent in 1998 and 46 per cent in 2000. Similarly herbicide-tolerant soybean, which was first available to farmers in 1996, expanded to about 17 per cent of soybean acreage in 1997, and to more than 50 per cent in 2000.

Bt crops containing the gene from a soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), are the only insect-resistant crops commercially available. The bacteria produce a protein that is toxic when ingested by certain lepidopteran insects, such as butterflies and moths. Crops containing the Bt gene are able to produce this toxin, thereby providing protection against lepidopteran insects throughout the entire plant. Bt has been built into several crops, the most important being cotton and corn.

Bt cotton is primarily effective in controlling the tobacco budworm, the bollworm, and the pink bollworm. Use of Bt cotton in Australia, America, and China is expanded rapidly, reaching 15 per cent of cotton acreage in 1996 and 35 per cent in 2000.

"A survey conducted in USA indicates that factors affecting farmers' adoption of GE crops. Most farmers (54-76 per cent of surveyed adopters) adopting genetically engineered cotton with pest management traits did so mainly to "increase yields through improved pest control."

The second most cited aim was "to decrease pesticide costs" (19-42 per cent of adopters). All other reasons combined (such as increased planting flexibility or environmental benefits) were cited by 3-15 per cent of adopters."

These results confirm other studies showing that expected profitability positively influences the adoption of agricultural innovations. Hence, factors expected to increase profitability by increasing revenues per acre (price of the crop times yield) or reducing costs are expected to promote adoption. Given that an objective of pest management in agriculture is to reduce crop yield losses, there is a high incentive for innovations that reduce these losses.

Pakistan is the world's fourth largest producer of cotton after China, the USA and India, according to statistics from the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association. Cotton and textiles make up over 60 per cent of Pakistan's $7.5 billion annual export.

Cotton growers in Pakistan and other cotton growing countries depend heavily on pesticides. Twenty-five per cent of all insecticides used around the world each year are applied in traditional cotton agriculture, according to the US-based EcoChoices Green store.

Cotton or white gold as it is aptly called is grown for its lint and seed, which yield cotton fiber and seed oil, respectively. This crop occupies 70-75 millions acre of world area with a production of 20-25 metric tones. In Pakistan its area spans over 12-14 millions acre with an average yield of 485kg/acre or 210kg/hectare of lint and 500kg/acre of seed cotton. To meet the challenges of this century with a population of more that 140 million, a total production of 12 million bales is required as against the 7-8 million bales of today. This can be achieved by the use of improved crop production practices coupled with appropriate pest management tactics. In addition, generation of novel. Bio-technology can help to achieve the near impossible. Genes that have been identified as potentially profitable, if engineered into acceptable cultivator methodology can be used to generate such transgenics. Among these are genes imparting resistance to herbicides, insects, pathogens and biotic stresses. It is also widely accepted now that a number of other qualitative characters can be improved, such as fiber strength, fineness, color and thermal adaptability of the fibre.

Transgenic plants have become realistic components of stress management world over. Bollworm and herbicide resistant transgenic cotton have received the approval of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and have been commercially released in the USA, Australia and China for cultivation. Considering the fact that numerous biotic and abiotic stresses limit cotton production, it is likely that future strategies might orient towards the development of a multi-adversity resistant high yielding transgenic cotton variety with superior fiber qualities.

Use of pesticides

The present use of pesticides in Pakistan is concentrated on cotton, the most important cash crop, and the most important export commodity. The production of cotton is concentrated in the Punjab and in Sindh provinces, but is also found in Balochistan. The pesticides applied in cotton are mostly insecticides against a number of very serious pest species, e.g. white fly, jassid, aphid and bollworms. White fly is important, both as a direct pest species and as a transmitter of the cotton leaf curl virus. This virus is the most important disease in cotton.

Some figures for import and use of pesticides in Pakistan illustrate the development:

Pakistan offers a rapidly expanding market for insecticides and pesticides.The total market has expanded from Rs7,200,000,000 ($120m) in 1990 to Rs11,000,000,000 ($184m) in 2000.

The total cotton area is about 1,400,000.00 acres this year and 85 per cent of the total use of pesticides is used in cotton. About three to six applications in the crop are normal, so there is an average use of fivekg per acre per year. However, the total amount of pesticides used in Pakistan is not very high compared to the area of arable land, but the pesticide use in Pakistan is concentrated on relatively few crops, with cotton, fruit and vegetables as the most important. After all, the intensive use of pesticides in cotton involves a special risk for the harvest workers, the boll pickers, and of an unacceptable residue concentration in cotton seed oil and cakes.

Cotton and freshwater project manager and one of the key official of the WWF, Christine Barochler, said regarding excessive use of insecticide on Cotton crops in Pakistan that if steps are not taken quickly to reduce it, developing countries like Pakistan might face something akin to Russia's Aral Sea tragedy. The Aral Sea, spread over 60,000 kilometers, was one of the largest fresh water ecosystems. But it turned into an environmental catastrophe of astronomical proportion because the Soviet Union's major thrust was conventional cotton agriculture.

Prospects and potential

The application of biotechnology in cotton farming can be either in the form of production of fermentation products or novel recombinant products for use or as transgenic plant with in built resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Transgenic crops with in built resistance to insect pests and diseases can be extremely useful as this would result in the reduction of insecticide use apart from making pest management simple for the farmer. Introduction of the bollworm resistant transgenic cotton is expected to reduce the use of chemicals used to control bollworm, specially Helicoverpa, importantly at a time when resistance to most insecticides including pyrethrolids is on the increase all over the world.

By the introduction of the Bt cotton in Pakistan could result in a 45-55 per cent reduction in insecticide use on cotton (Which is 85per cent of Rs11 billion). This would mean a benefit of about of about Rs4,207,500,000 to Rs5,142,500,000, apart from the favorable impact on the environment and increase in cotton yield. So far, transgenic plants have been produced in about 60 plant species. Cotton has received special attention of the biotechnological companies in the developed countries who were attracted by the profit motives associated with the high value added to the transgenic seeds.

In Australia, transgenic cotton that were commercial released in 1997. This resulted in 50-60 per cent reduction in the $93 million spent by farmers each year on insecticides. China one of the major consumers of insecticides on cotton is reportedly strongly considering the prospects of introduction of Bt transgenic cottons.

Effect on yield

It is difficult to estimate the farm-level effect of genetically engineered crops on yields because impacts vary with the crop and technology examined. Yields also depend on locational factors such as soil fertility, rainfall, and temperature, which can also influence the very presence of pests.

"Last year in India field trials of Bt Cotton were carried out, Dr Manju Sharma said contained experiments so far completed in 30 locations had shown a 14-38 per cent increase in cotton yield, that too "without a single spraying of insecticide except on the sucking pest."(The Business Line: Jan 19, 2000).

In Pakistan, average yield of conventional cotton per acre is around 25-28 maund or 933kg-1,044kg. By considering the above results from Indian field trials. Bt Cotton in Pakistan can increase per acre yield from 933kg to 1063kg and 1,044kg to 1,191kg at 14 per cent level, while at 38 per cent it would increase per acre yield from 933kg to 1,288kg and 1,044kg to 1,442kg. Which means that, on the one hand, it will bring prosperity for Pakistani farmers, and , on the other, it will bring a boom yo all industries and business activities which are directly or indirectly associated with agriculture sector.

However, farmers growing transgenics have to make an agreement with seed suppliers stating that they would not keep seed for planting next year. Quick ELISA tests have been devised to test for Bt toxins in plant parts, to check the illegal spread of transgenics. A significant socioeconomic issue that can arise from the introduction of transgenics into the Pakistani farming system is that the high priced seeds may benefits the prosperous and large farmers thus providing a negative externality on small and marginal farmers.

On the other hand it can also argued that the developments from the application of biotechnology would be beneficial to low input farming practices wherein the cost of chemical inputs can be minimized. It is now only a matter of time before we experience the full social economic and environmental impact of transgenics in our country.

Recent development

Stable transformation and re-germination has been reported for Bt transgenics in Uzbekistan, China, Egypt and Australia. Pakistan is developing cotton transgenic plants resistant to rear curl virus. Pakistan has also developed transgenic cotton resistant to the CLCUV.

Conclusion

Adoption of genetically engineered crops with traits for pest management has risen dramatically since the commercial introduction in the mid-1990s. Despite environmental and food safety concerns about the use of genetically engineered crops, it is believed that the use of transgenic cotton crops will offer Pakistani farmers many benefits, such as higher yields, lower pest management costs, and greater cropping practice flexibility. While benefits and performance of these cotton crops may be vary greatly by region because of pest infestation levels and other factors.

In USA, Australia and China the rapid adoption rates for Biotech crop are evidence that for many farmers expected benefits outweigh expected costs. However, the econometric analysis from ongoing research shows that the impacts of genetically engineered crops on pesticide use, crop yields, and returns vary with the crop and technology examined. But by controlling other factor increase in adoption of herbicide tolerant cotton and Bt cotton, led significant increase in yields and net returns, and decreases in insecticide use.

By Ijaz Ahmad Rao 
Email: luckystarpk@yahoo.com