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Explaining contradictory evidence regarding impacts of genetically modified crops in developing countries. Varietal performance of transgenic cotton in India

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2005

R. BENNETT ,
Y. ISMAEL  and
S. MORSE
R. BENNETT
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural and Food Economics, The University of Reading, PO Box 237, Reading RG6 6AR, UK
Y. ISMAEL
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural and Food Economics, The University of Reading, PO Box 237, Reading RG6 6AR, UK
S. MORSE
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, School of Human and Environmental Sciences, The University of Reading, PO Box 227, Reading RG6 6AB, UK
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Abstract

A study of the commercial growing of different varieties of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton compares the performance of growing official and unofficial hybrid varieties of Bt cotton and conventional (non-Bt) hybrids in Gujarat by 622 farmers. Results suggest that the official Bt varieties (MECH 12 and MECH 162) significantly outperform the unofficial varieties. However, unofficial, locally produced Bt hybrids can also perform significantly better than non-Bt hybrids, although second generation (F2) Bt seed appears to have no yield advantage compared to non-Bt hybrids but can save on insecticide use. Although hybrid vigour is reduced, or even lost, with F2 seed the Bt gene still confers some advantage. The F2 seed is regarded as ‘GM’ by the farmers (and is sold as such), even though its yield performance is little better than the non-GM hybrids. The results help to explain why there is so much confusion arising from GM cotton release in India.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 143 , Issue 1 , February 2005 , pp. 35 - 41
Copyright
© 2005 Cambridge University Press

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