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Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsHarnessing new technologies for agricultural production-BT Cotton

Harnessing new technologies for agricultural production-BT Cotton

Agriculture is passing through a distinct phase of transformation, the ‘Gene Revolution,’  in which modern biotechnology enables the production of genetically modified (GM) crops that are claimed to help resolve the pressing problems of food security, malnutrition and abject poverty in different parts of the world.

By Brian Lewis

Most countries are carrying out field trials of crops to ascertain their efficacy and adaptability to climatic conditions. Africa has not been left far behind as countries have since started trials on various crops including the introduction of BT cotton which many see as a panacea to the declining cotton production.

Bt cotton has been genetically modified by the insertion of one or more genes from a common soil bacterium, Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT). These genes encode for the production of insecticidal proteins, and thus, genetically transformed plants produce one or more toxins as they grow.

Entomologists say that once ingested the BT eats away the digestive system of the bollworms protecting cotton balls from being destroyed.

Doctor Gondwe a Malawi Entomologist said the notorious bollworm is responsible for 90% of destruction of cotton fields as they attack cotton balls.

Malawi has since started field trials in nine sites across the country.  At Chitala Agriculture Research Station in Salama the government is having trials of 8 BT cotton varieties and a local hybrid.

Doctor Gondwe said national trials are important as cotton varieties perform differently in various climatic conditions.

He said so far the trials had proven that BT cotton performs better than local cotton varieties as it is not affected by the African Bollworm which is a menace to cotton production.

“Due to synthetic pesticide resistance, farmers are losing much of their cotton to tobacco budworms, cotton bollworms, and pink bollworms.

“Trials entail that we plant the cotton at a plot at the same time in rows, we have found out that the local variety has a few harvestable balls than BT cotton as it is attacked by bollworms.

“We also spray the cotton with insecticides at different intervals others twice and the other rows we don’t even fumigate.

“We have noted that BT treated cotton even if not fumigated gives more yield than the local variety”, he said.

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Gondwe mentioned that additional spraying of BT cotton is for fighting other aphids like cotton stainers, mealy bugs and jassids which affects the cotton quality rather than the quantity.

He said Malawi was on a three year trial of the BT cotton variety to prove its efficacy in yield and if the trial proves positive then they will roll the cotton variety to local farmers.

He said farmers are involved in the trials as they should have an appreciation of the cotton variety.

Jennifer Banda (51) a Malawian cotton farmer said farmers are having poor cotton harvests year in and year out and it’s also being compounded by the low price which the crop is being sold at.

“We are saddled back with low yields of less than two bales per hectare as we are harvesting a maximum of 5 balls per plant.

“With the current selling price of K300 (less than US$ 0,50cents) the Chinese buyers are buying the crop, we are failing to do much with proceeds from our fields.

Emirates

“The government should allow us to plant this new cotton variety which we heard can produce up to 10 bales per acre.

I believe with such a yield I can send my kids to school and live a decent life”, she said.

Dr Margaret Karembo, a Director at the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications said BT Cotton does not harm flora and fauna and has been in production in other countries for the past 21 years.

She said consumption of the cotton bi-products has not had any effects to people and wild life.

“The gene put into the cotton is a natural protein from the soil and when cotton seed is expressed into oil the gene is denatured”, she said.

Karembo urged Biotech institutions in COMESA countries to do trials before releasing the technology to farmers so that they are sure of the quality of yield farmers would obtain.

“The technology does not affect the quality of the lint as what you put in as inputs is what you get in term of the yield.

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“The world is still wondering with Africa and its approach to agriculture technologies.

“Whilst we are pondering on BT technology others are already on plant gene editing which involves deleting or editing that plant part which insects affect and this improves farmers’ yields.

“Africa is always following and this affects the levels of poverty in our countries”, she said.

Karembo said many people have opinions about the technology but science should provide a factual base which in turn should advise policy.

She said the technology can be an additional tool to what farmers already have as traditional ways of controlling pests are proving to be less effective due to pests resistance and mutation.

Statistics show that 65% of Africa’s labour is employed in agriculture but the younger generation are shunning the trade as yields from fields continue to decrease.

Dr Getachew Belay a Senior COMESA Biotechnology Policy Advisor said currently Sudan is the only country in COMESA which has gone commercial on BT cotton.

He said BT cotton is one of the methods which can improve cotton production in Africa.

“Countries like Malawi, Kenya, Uganda and Swaziland are still on trials.

“BT cotton yields vary from country to country but research has it that the BT variety has 20% advantage over local varieties”, he said.

Zimbabwe’s Second Science, Technology and Innovation Policy published in 2012 stresses the need for promoting and coordinating biotechnology research on plants and animals aimed at increasing food productivity. The policy also recognises the promotion of the use of beneficial derivatives of biotechnology by farmers at the same time addressing safety concerns.

The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications in its 2016 Global Status of Commercialized Biotech state that 26 countries that is 19 developing and 7 industrialized countries are producing biotech crops.

The four major Biotech crops being grown across the world are cotton, maize, soybean and canola.

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