Journal of SOIL BIOLOGY and ECOLOGY

Status of Bt cotton in India vis- a-vis its impact on pesticide use and soil fauna

Authors: B.V. PATIL, M. BHEEMANNA AND L. RAJESH CHOWDARY

Abstract:

Cotton is the livelihood for about 60 million Indians, which includes farming, textile and trade sectors; with about 352 lakh bales of cotton production in 2015-16 in the country, India’s productivity of 527.49 kg/ha is much lower compared to China, Brazil and USA. Conventionally, cotton consumed more pesticides than any other crop, equivalent to 46% of the total crop pesticide market. Bt-cotton technology has an advantageous alternative to traditional cotton hybrids and varieties by inhibiting bollworm attacks, thereby improving farm production and income. This is an informative review paper to analyze the status of Bt cotton and its impact on pesticide use in the Bt cotton ecosystem.

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