Once called the “white gold” of Indian agriculture, cotton has always been central to India’s economy and the lives of millions of small farmers. But by the 1990s, this prized crop was on the brink of collapse. Pests like the bollworm had outsmarted insecticides, farmers faced devastating losses, and cotton farming had become a desperate gamble.
The ABNE Biotechnology and Biosafety Global Virtual Study Tour of Brazil, Argentina, India, and Bangladesh, organised by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University, took place from March 24 to 27, 2025.
From the presentations on India’s cotton revolution by Bhagirath Chaudhary, the Director at SABC Center; the Chief General Manager of Biotech Consortium India Limited, Dr Vibha Ahuja; Kailash Bansal, Former Director of the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR); and the Mahyco Company Representative, Pritiranjan Rath, I gathered how science, smarter farming, and biotech innovation are reviving the white gold in India.
Fast-forward to 2025, and India is writing a different story—one of resilience, science, and quiet transformation.
The crisis that shook Indian cotton
In the late 20th century, Indian cotton farmers found themselves locked in a losing battle.
- Bollworms had developed resistance to pyrethroid insecticides.
- Crop losses soared — in some areas, farmers lost up to 80% of their harvests.
- Cotton alone consumed nearly half of India’s insecticides, costing over $500 million in 2001.
- Yields collapsed to as low as 154 kg/ha in rainfed regions.
Desperation led to rampant pesticide use, environmental damage, and rising imports to meet textile industry demands.
Something had to change.
Biotech breakthrough: The arrival of Bt cotton
In 2002, India introduced Bt cotton, a genetically modified variety designed to resist bollworm attacks. It was a gamble — but one that paid off spectacularly.
Over the next two decades:
- Cotton production tripled.
- Insecticide use was halved.
- Farmers’ incomes grew by an average of $181.8 per hectare, adding a staggering $27.4 billion to India’s farm economy between 2002 and 2020.
Bt cotton didn’t just revive a crop. It restored hope.
New challenges on the horizon
But farming, like nature, never stays static. By the 2010s, new problems surfaced:
- Pink bollworms developed resistance to Bt traits.
- Soil fertility declined under the strain of chemical farming.
- Spurious seeds and illegal herbicide use crept into the market.
- Yields stagnated, and profit margins shrank.
- Farmers often ignored refuge strategies — planting non-Bt cotton alongside Bt to prevent resistance.
It became clear: one-time biotech fixes weren’t enough. Indian cotton needed a second transformation.
The smart fight: Mating disruption and pest management 2.0
Enter pheromone-based technologies like PBKnot — a smart, eco-friendly way to outsmart the pink bollworm.
How it works:
- Pheromone dispensers flood fields with false scent trails, confusing male moths and preventing mating.
- Mass trapping reduces pest populations without heavy insecticide use.
Across trials in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana:
- Trap catches fell by up to 90%.
- Flower and boll damage plummeted by over 80%.
- Yields increased by up to 2.5 quintals per acre.
Best of all, this method slashed pesticide use, protecting both farmers’ health and the environment.
North India’s high-tech cotton revolution
Meanwhile, in North India, a bold new experiment unfolded: high-tech, regenerative cotton farming.
In 2024-25, a pioneering project combined:
- Solar-powered drip irrigation (saving 60–65% water).
- Precision fertigation (cutting fertilizer use by up to 79%).
- Integrated Pest Management using sticky traps, pheromones, and smarter monitoring.
- Raised-bed planting with mulch to conserve soil health and moisture.
The results were stunning:
- Yields jumped to 16.7 quintals per acre — nearly three times more than traditional plots.
- Net profits soared, with a Cost Benefit Ratio of 2.99, compared to just 1.54 for conventional farming.
- Pesticide use dropped by 18–27%.
- Greenhouse gas emissions fell thanks to solar energy adoption.
This wasn’t just better farming. It was a blueprint for climate-smart agriculture.
Cotton’s new identity: A multipurpose powerhouse
Today’s cotton fields don’t just produce fiber. They now support:
- Edible oil production (from cottonseeds).
- Animal feed (from hulls and meals).
- Industrial uses (from linters and stalks turned into boards, papers, biofuels, and compost).
The humble cotton plant is evolving into an eco-economic champion.
Lessons and the road ahead
India’s journey shows that science, resilience, and innovation can rescue even the most troubled sectors.
But the story isn’t over:
- Farmers must embrace integrated pest management, not just technology alone.
- Investment in new biotech traits and climate-resilient varieties is crucial.
- Awareness campaigns are needed so that refuge strategies and responsible seed use become the norm.
- The future lies in regenerative agriculture, where productivity, sustainability, and profitability go hand in hand.
With the right support, India’s “white gold” could shine even brighter in the years ahead — nourishing farmers’ livelihoods, the textile industry, and the nation itself.
Abdallah is a multiple agricultural award winner, Editor-in-Chief of ASHENEWS and President of the Pan African Agricultural Journalists (PAAJ). He can be reached at www.elkurebe@gmail.com
