Addressing India's

Declining Cotton
Production: The Pink
Bollworm Predicament
 Introduction
• India's cotton production, a vital component of the nation's textile
industry, has been facing a significant challenge in recent years

• The pink bollworm, a persistent pest, has been wreaking havoc on

this essential fibre crop

• Despite promising advancements in "mating disruption"

technologies to combat this threat, the decline in cotton
production remains a cause for concern
Cotton: A Multi-
Purpose Crop
• Cotton, a versatile crop, serves as a source for Food, Feed,
and Fibre, encompassing lint, seed, and waste components

• The significance of cotton extends beyond its lint,

constituting only 36% of the raw un-ginned cotton
harvested by farmers

o Lint

o Seed

o Wastes
Cottonseed: A
Valuable Byproduct

• Cottonseed, comprising 62% of

kapas, holds substantial value
• Its oil content is widely used in
cooking and frying
• While the residual cake serves as a
protein-rich feed ingredient for
livestock and poultry
Cotton's Dominance in India's
Textile Industry

• Cotton commands a significant share,

approximately two-thirds, of India's total textile
fibre consumption

• Furthermore, cottonseed ranks as the country's

third-largest domestically-produced vegetable oil

• Following mustard and soybean, and represents the

second-largest feed cake/meal, trailing only
soybean
The Bt Revolution: A Game-
Changer in Cotton Production

Between 2000-01 and 2013-14, India witnessed a

remarkable surge in cotton production, attributed
largely to the adoption of Bt technology

Genetically-modified cotton hybrids,

incorporating genes from Bacillus thuringiensis ,
provided protection against the American
bollworm, leading to a substantial increase in lint
yields
The Pink However, post-2013-14, both cotton
Bollworm production and yields experienced a decline

Predicament
This downturn is primarily attributed to the
resurgence of the pink bollworm , which has
developed resistance to Bt proteins

Unlike its counterpart, the American

bollworm, the PBW's monophagous nature
makes it particularly challenging to control
 Conventional insecticides have shown
limited effectiveness against PBW larvae

Mating
Disruption: An alternative approach, "mating
disruption," involves the use of synthetic

A Promising
pheromones to disrupt the reproductive
cycle of PBW moths

Solution
Two approved products, PBKnot and
SPLAT, offer promising results in
controlling PBW infestations
 With cotton being cultivated predominantly by
smallholders across 12.5 million hectares, its
significance to India's agriculture and textile
sector is undeniable

The Road
Ahead: While Bt technology revolutionized production,
Embracing combating emerging pests like PBW requires
ongoing technological advancements
Technological
Solutions
This necessitates a strategic approach,
encompassing GM technology, next-generation
insecticides, and mating disruption techniques
 India's cotton production faces a critical
challenge due to the resurgence of the pink
bollworm

While Bt technology provided a significant

Conclusion boost, it's imperative to adapt and implement new

technologies to ensure the sustainability of this
vital fibre, food, and feed crop

Through innovations like mating disruption and

continued research in GM technology, India can
safeguard its cotton production and maintain its
crucial role in the nation's textile industry