Cotton Productivity in India: Challenges

Source: Indian Express
GS III: Major Crops – Cropping Patterns, Environmental Degradation, Science and Technology- Developments and their Applications 

Overview

1. News in Brief
2. Cotton in India
3. What is GM Cotton?
4. Reason for Decline of Cotton Productivity
5. Way Forward

Why in the News?

India’s cotton productivity debate has gained attention amid discussions on approving new GM cotton varieties, with emphasis on improving soil health, agronomic practices, and climate resilience rather than relying solely on genetically modified seeds.

News in Brief

• The debate on reviving India’s cotton sector has highlighted that approving new GM cotton varieties alone is unlikely to significantly increase productivity.
• Declining soil health, climate change, pest resistance, and poor agronomic practices are identified as the major causes of stagnant cotton yields.
• The focus should shift towards soil restoration, efficient irrigation, integrated crop management, and climate-resilient cotton varieties under the Cotton Technology Mission to ensure sustainable productivity.

Cotton in India

Importance of Cotton

• Supports the textile industry, one of India’s largest manufacturing sectors.
• Provides raw material for the garment and apparel industry.
• Contributes significantly to cotton yarn, textiles, and garment exports, earning valuable foreign exchange.
• Provides livelihood to over six million cotton farmers and millions more engaged in ginning, spinning, weaving, processing, and marketing.
• Generates substantial rural employment, especially in cotton-growing regions.
• Contributes to the growth of allied industries such as textiles, handicrafts, and apparel manufacturing.

Cotton Cultivation in India

• India has the largest area under cotton cultivation in the world.
• Cotton is cultivated in both irrigated and rainfed areas, with nearly two-thirds of the crop grown under rainfed conditions, making production vulnerable to climate variability.
• Cotton is mainly grown in the Kharif season and requires:
  • Warm climate (21–30°C)
  • Moderate rainfall (50–100 cm)
  • Frost-free conditions
  • Deep black cotton (regur) soils, though it is also grown in alluvial and red soils.

Major Cotton-Producing States

• Gujarat
• Maharashtra
• Telangana
• Andhra Pradesh
• Rajasthan
• Madhya Pradesh
• Punjab
• Haryana

Challenges in India’s Cotton Sector

• Stagnating productivity despite widespread adoption of Bt cotton.
• Declining soil fertility and organic carbon.
• Climate change leading to heat stress, droughts, and erratic rainfall.
• Rising pest resistance, especially pink bollworm.
• High dependence on rainfed agriculture.
• Increasing cost of cultivation and input use.

What is GM Cotton?

• Genetically Modified (GM) Cotton is cotton whose genetic material (DNA) is altered using biotechnology to introduce desirable traits such as insect resistance or herbicide tolerance.
• The objective is to reduce crop losses, lower pesticide use, and improve farm management.

Bt Cotton

• Bt Cotton contains a gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
• The gene produces a Bt protein that is toxic to bollworms, one of the most destructive pests of cotton.
• It reduces the need for chemical insecticides against bollworms.
• Approved for commercial cultivation in India in 2002.
• Bt Cotton is currently the only commercially approved GM crop in India.
  • GM mustard has received regulatory approval but is not yet commercially cultivated on a large scale.

New GM Cotton Technologies

• The next-generation GM cotton technologies proposed for approval:
  • BG-II RRFlex- Combines insect resistance with herbicide tolerance.
  • Bollgard-III- Designed to provide broader and longer-lasting protection against insect pests.
  • Herbicide-Tolerant (HT) Cotton – Allows the use of specific herbicides for effective weed control.
  • ThryvOn Technology – Provides protection against sap-sucking pests such as aphids and thrips.
• Intended Benefits
  • Better weed management.
  • Enhanced protection against insect pests.
  • Reduced pesticide use.
  • Easier and more efficient farm operations.
  • Lower labour requirements for weed control.
• Concerns Highlighted
  • While these technologies can improve pest and weed management, they do not directly increase cotton yields.
  • Sustainable improvements in productivity require:
    • Better soil health.
    • Improved agronomic practices.
    • Efficient water management.
    • Climate-resilient cotton varieties.
    • Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to tackle pest resistance.

Reason for Decline of Cotton Productivity

• Poor soil health has reduced cotton productivity due to declining Soil Organic Carbon (SOC), nutrient imbalance, and land degradation.
• Climate change has increased heat waves, erratic rainfall, and drought, adversely affecting cotton yields.
• Pink bollworm has developed resistance to Bt cotton, reducing its effectiveness against pests.
• Imbalanced use of chemical fertilizers has lowered soil fertility and nutrient-use efficiency.
• Water stress has become a major challenge as most cotton cultivation in India is rainfed.
• Continuous monocropping has depleted soil nutrients and increased pest and disease incidence.

Way Forward

• Restore soil health by increasing Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) through organic manure and crop residues.
• Promote balanced fertilizer use based on soil health cards and nutrient requirements.
• Improve irrigation efficiency through micro-irrigation and better water management.
• Adopt Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to reduce pest resistance and pesticide use.
• Develop climate-resilient cotton varieties to withstand heat, drought, and emerging pests.
• Strengthen agricultural extension services to disseminate scientific farming practices.
• Approve new technologies only after rigorous scientific assessment and biosafety evaluation.
• Encourage crop diversification and sustainable farming to improve soil fertility and long-term productivity.

Key Takeaways

UPSC Prelims and Mains Practice Question

Consider the following statements regarding GM crops in India:

1. Bt cotton is the only commercially approved GM crop in India.
2. Bt cotton contains a gene from Bacillus thuringiensis that provides resistance against bollworms.
3. New GM cotton technologies directly guarantee higher cotton yields.

Select correct answer using the code given below

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 3 only

d) 1,2 and 3

Answer: a) 1 and 2 only

Mains Practice Question

Q. Critically examine the role of genetically modified (GM) cotton in improving cotton productivity in India. Suggest measures for sustainable growth of the cotton sector. (150 words)

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