Monsanto to introduce nextgen cotton tech

Mahyco-Monsanto Biotech, the 50:50 joint venture of US biotech major Monsanto and Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Co (Mahyco), is looking at introducing roundup ready flex (RRF) technology for its Bollgard II cotton variety in the Indian market soon.

Speaking on the sidelines of a press conference in Kolkata, Christopher Samuel, a company official, said, “Monsanto’s primary focus is improving yield per hectare. The use of bacillus thuringiensis cotton variety (Bt cotton) has helped in increasing yield and has made India the second largest cotton exporter. We aim to use new seed and biotechnology in a bid to enhance yield based on farmers’ needs. The allegation that international companies are dumping technologies unsuitable for India is a myth. Farmers won’t take seeds if not economically viable. We develop seeds, be it transgenic or through natural breeding, based only on local needs.”

At present, Monsanto has two Indian entities — Monsanto Holdings, which is focussed on cotton and vegetables, and Monsanto India, targeting corn and roundup ready flex.

RRF, a technology prevalent in other parts of the world, helps fight weeds which cause an average yield loss of 30-35 per cent every year in India. “We are looking at introducing RRF in our Bollgard variety,” said Samuel.

“The RRF technology in India will be the next generation of technology for cotton introduced in India. In 2002, Bollgard cotton was introduced and in 2006, Bollgard II variety. In 2008, according to independent studies, almost 76 per cent of the total cotton area was under Bt cotton, which helped in raising yield. The next big thing will be fighting weeds. The earliest RRF introduction can take place in 2012-13,” he added.

“We have started first-stage field trials in several areas in the country. Its commercial launch will take some time because there is a strong regulatory mechanism in India,” he said.

Going forward, Monsanto, which holds global patent rights for transgenic cotton seed technology, will focus on introducing hybrid technology at the commercial level for some Indian vegetables.

The company is also looking at more joint ventures and tie-ups with Indian institutions and companies for research.

Monsanto has also recently committed a Rs 50-crore grant to a global rice and wheat research scholars programme in collaboration with Texas Agrilife Research and Texas A&M.

“Yields of the two critical crops, rice and wheat, have grown at a compounded annual growth rate of nearly 0.8 per cent globally over the past decade. But research in these two staple crops has fallen behind and we hope that this programme will jumpstart additional investment in two of the world’s most important grains,” said Ed Runge, programme director, Monsanto Beachell-Borlaug International Scholars Programme.

According to government estimates, there is likely to be a shortage of 14 million tonnes of foodgrains. At 43 million hectares, India has the world’s largest rice acreage, and with production at 96.43 million tonnes, India is the second largest rice producer in the world. Yet rice productivity of the country is 50 per cent of China and the US and 33 per cent of Egypt.

In case of wheat, which is the second most important cereal in India, with 26.69 million hectares, India has the second largest area under wheat cultivation and the second largest wheat producer with 78.40 million tonnes.

“While India’s wheat productivity is at par with the US, it is 55 per cent of China and 40 per cent of Egypt, which means there lies tremendous potential for India to enhance productivity which we hope to address,” said Samuel.