ChangingCottonLandscapeNeilForrester

Logistical problems
It will be very hard to quickly ramp up the hybrid production capability in Pakistan from a zero
base to a level that can effectively meet the hybrid seed demands for a 3.2m hectare cotton
industry in Pakistan. While not an impossible task, it could take up to 10 years or so to develop
a viable hybrid cottonseed production industry in Pakistan using currently available systems. For
example, if you have say 200 seed production farms or villages at 20 acres each, this will give
you 4,000 acres of seed production capability. Given current production capabilities, this should
produce enough planting seed for 100,000 hectares at a variety competitive planting rate of 2 kg
hybrid seed per hectare and this would meet only 3% of the country’s needs. The estimated
labour requirement to do this would be 300 workers per 20 acre farm or seed production village
per day from August to mid September. In addition, the production cost of this seed would be
high at around 500 PR per kg of black seed compared to around 30 PR/kg black for varietal
seed.
2.4 Weeds
Weeds are a major yield constraint in Pakistan cotton production but surprisingly are hardly
mentioned by anyone as a problem. Perhaps people are fatalistic about weeds and just accept
that they cannot do much about them and take the yield losses. But herbicide tolerant cottons
will offer growers a new weed control tool.
Left – CLCV in
Pakistan. Note
hybrid in front
– variety at
back.
Right – Jassid
damage in
India
There are a number of herbicide tolerant technologies currently available in cotton from multiple
technology suppliers and some which will become available in the near term. In fact, the first
cotton biotech product to be commercialised was BXN cotton from Calgene in 1995 (technology
went to Bayer and now withdrawn). This was an herbicide tolerant cotton resistant to
bromoxynil, a photosystems II photosynthesis inhibitor (HRAC [Herbicide Resistance Action
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