The Hindu Business Line : Nuziveedu Seeds to unveil Bt cotton hybrids

The company, which has posted a turnover of Rs 110 crore last fiscal, has already developed Bt gene and is currently in the process of transforming it into its hybrid seeds, according to the Managing Director of NSL, Mr M. Prabhakar Rao.

Mr Rao told newspersons here on Thursday that NSL was also holding discussions for a possible tie-up with two companies with regard to introducing Bt cotton. The company would conduct field trials of its Bt cotton by next year if the authorities concerned accorded permission.

The Hyderabad-based company has received this year's Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) award in the area of agro and food processing industries for its in-house R&D efforts through which Bunny and Mallika cotton hybrids have evolved. The two hybrids were not only high yielding but also tolerant to sucking pests such as jassids and white fly and diseases as black arm.

Due to wide adaptability of the hybrids, Mr Rao said the varieties were being cultivated extensively not only in Andhra Pradesh but also in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. The hybrids were cultivated in more than 20 lakh acres in the year 2001-02 and 30 lakh in the year 2002-03 which was equivalent to "25 per cent of the acreage under hybrid cotton in India".

Both the hybrids were tested in the All-India Coordinated Cotton Improvement Project of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and found to be best among the entries for yield and quality of cotton, Mr Rao added.

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