Bangladesh holds Bt cotton field trials

Hyderabad-based JK Agri Genetics Ltd, an arm of the JK Organisation, is collaborating with the Bangladesh authorities to maintain subject trials of genetically-modified cotton in the neighbouring place.

“The Bangladesh authorities is conducting the subject trials, which have been concluded for the initially season. The effects are excellent. Area trials will be held for the next season this 12 months someday concerning April and November,” claimed Gyanendra Shukla, President and Director of JK Agri Genetics, improved popularly recognized as JK Seeds.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA), in a be aware on the Bangladesh progress, claimed that Dhaka’s Cotton Progress Board (CDB) commenced trials of the genetically-modified or bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton with two types — JKCH 1947 Bt and JKCH 1950 Bt — which can resist bollworm and Fall armyworm in the plant.

According to the USDA, the CDB attained the Bt cotton types less than the content transfer agreement from JK Seeds, an erstwhile division of JK Tyres and Industries Ltd.

“Though the initially season trials gave excellent effects, much more trials need to have to be finished. As soon as the Bangladesh authorities is happy with the effects, it will start out the deregulation process wherein farmers will be allowed to cultivate the Bt variety,” claimed Shukla. The CDB concluded the greenhouse trial of the cotton types effectively on March four last 12 months, and it obtained the permission of Bangladesh’s Countrywide Committee on Biosafety Clearance to start out confined subject trials for the existing crop 12 months (August 2020-July 2021), the USDA claimed.

Raising output

“We are doing very little on our have. Nor are we engaged in any commercial activity in Bangladesh,” the JK Seeds President claimed, hinting that the Sheikh Hasina Wajed authorities is independently managing these functions, although his company is collaborating.

Bangladesh’s goal behind these trials is to build “efficient genetically-modified cotton” as aspect of its endeavours to maximize cotton generation. Now, it satisfies about 25 for each cent of its raw cotton demands by imports from India.

The USDA has pegged Bangladesh’s 2020-21 crop at one.86 lakh bales (of a hundred and seventy kg) on 46,000 hectares.