Farmers’ Perceptions on Various Features of Bt Cotton in Andhra Pradesh

2016 ◽  
pp. 115-128
Author(s):  
Vasant P. Gandhi ◽  
Dinesh Jain
Keyword(s):  
Andhra Pradesh ◽  
Bt Cotton

scholarly journals How do "imagined farmers" negotiate actual risks? Biosafety trade-offs in Bt cotton production in Andhra Pradesh, India

2012 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 162
Author(s):  
Julia Freeman
Keyword(s):  
Political Ecology ◽  
Andhra Pradesh ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Environmental Safety ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
Bt Cotton ◽  
Unintended Effects ◽  
Cotton Production ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Vantage Points

India's encounter with genetically engineered Bt cotton has been a contested one, and one that has rarely conformed to expectations. I argue that two primary vantage points on the question of agricultural biotechnology – those advocating the "biosafe use" of Bt cotton or those who insist it involves "inherent problems" - frequently anticipate an "imagined farmer" in incomplete and sometimes plainly incorrect ways. Thus, there is more to the Bt cotton debate than has been considered to date. Drawing from qualitative interviews with cotton farmers in two regions of Andhra Pradesh, I call attention to the unintended effects of widespread Bt cotton cultivation and debates missing from this controversy. Misconstrual of the "imagined farmer" has edged out civil society's acknowledgement of farmers' negotiation of the (immediate and physical) risks of pesticide use as contrasted with those (more abstracted and unknown) of genetically engineered seed. Bt cotton's advocates, on the other hand, seldom address the unintended effects of its widespread use, including potentially reduced labor opportunities for the most marginal rural laborers. In conclusion, I urge a more expansive assessment of the trade-offs between risks and benefits that farmers make regarding Bt cotton, alongside a closer look at the nuances of their decision-making. Framing agribiotech risk as a matter of manageable (or inherently problematic) "biosafety" does not resonate with farmers using a broader concept of health and environmental safety threatened by heavy pesticide usage.Keywords: Bt cotton, political ecology, genetic engineering risk, pesticides, India

scholarly journals Incidence of Pink Bollworm Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) on Flowers (Rosette) of Bt Cotton in Andhra Pradesh, India

2021 ◽  
pp. 90-97
Author(s):  
A. Appala Raju ◽  
G. M. V. Prasada Rao ◽  
V. Chinna Babu Naik ◽  
C. H. Chiranjeevi ◽  
A. K. Patibanda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Random Sampling ◽  
Andhra Pradesh ◽  
Progressive Increase ◽  
Pink Bollworm ◽  
Pectinophora Gossypiella ◽  
Bt Cotton ◽  
Crop Season ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Flower Damage

The pink bollworm Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) has recently emerged as a serious menace on Bt cotton in India. Extensive roving surveys were conducted in 12 locations of three major cotton growing districts of Andhra Pradesh, India, to assess the level of pink bollworm infestation in Bt cotton during 2018-19 and 2019-20. The dynamics and severity of flower damage due to pink bollworm during the 60-135 days’ crop period were evaluated based on a random sampling of flowers. Survey results revealed a widespread infestation of pink bollworm on Bt cotton flowers across the surveyed sites in a range of 11.8-19.50%. With the advancement of the crop season, a progressive increase in the flower damage was observed till 120 DAS then declined. Reasons for the enhanced flower damage and implications are discussed in this article.

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