Bollgard-3:
There has been an increasing demand for Bollgard-3 in Punjab, ahead of the cotton sowing season.
- It is a pest-resistant genetically-modified (GM) cotton variety.
- It was developed by Monsanto more than a decade ago, and shows remarkable resistance to pests.
- It contains three Bt proteins Cry1Ac, Cry2Ab and Vip3A that cause insect death by disrupting their normal gut function. This in turn allows for the growth of a healthier cotton crop, and increases yield.
- Farmers are demanding the introduction of Bollgard-3, which is particularly effective against lepidopteran pests like pink bollworm.
- Bollgard-1 was a Monsanto-developed Bt cotton introduced in India in 2002, followed by Bollgard-2 in 2006. The latter remains prevalent today.
- And although these do have some pest-repellent properties, they are not effective against the whitefly and the pink bollworm, which arrived in Punjab in 2015-16 and 2018-19 respectively.
