I don’t but will see if I can get a friend to answer.

Good writeup Janice. In the US, cotton varieties tend to be somewhat variable (heterogeneous) because of cross-pollination due to the flower type, and it is not considered worth the effort to get them as uniform as wheat or soybeans. F1 hybrids *should* be very uniform (all heterozygous, but very homogeneous). But because F1 seed is so costly to produce, various types of hybrids have been offered to reduce the seed cost, such as F2 hybrids, or double crosses (as in early corn hybrids). Do you know if either F2 hybrids or double cross hybrids are offered in India? I would expect either of them to be a little more variable (or at least as variable) as varieties. One advantage that hybrids have though is usually better stress tolerance, despite what all the anti-technology folks say about them needing more water and fertilizer. They might utilize more if it is available, but they shouldn’t *need* any more than a variety. I know this may be a more technical question than you expected on this blog, but I would be interested to know if you have the answer.

Thank you for asking the questions on your mind.

I have to tell you that I have only seen part of the movie and I’m not able to speak to the sales methods of everyone who sells cotton seed. If people are giving fake phone numbers, etc obviously that is unethical. I do know that there are highly ethical sales people in India as well who are part of the communities they sell to and who are looking out for their customer’s long-term interests as well as short-term gains.

Its interesting you would ask about the seeds that are sold to farmers in India because they are different from seeds sold in the US because they are bred for that market. Something which seems to be overlooked fairly often. Years ago I actually had a couple of slides that detailed the differences so I may miss so points but here are a few things to consider. In the US, cotton farmers plant varieties. They want the crop to be consistent over acres so they can manage the field as a whole. In India, we sell cotton hybrids. Hybrids offer higher individual performance but there also tends to be a bit more variability within a field, something that based on the way farmers in India manage small fields and even individual plants is not a problem. So the products we sell in India are created to maximize the way cotton is grown there.

About the water demand, we have a variety of cotton varieties and hybrids, some are able to take better advantage of areas which tend to receive good rainfall or have irrigation readily available — think the Mid-South & Southeastern US and southern/central India versus the more arid/desert-like areas to the west in both countries.

I think what sometimes gets to me is people don’t understand how and why these technologies are so beneficial. I remember meeting a researcher from Rutgers years ago who was studying the use of Bt cotton by small holders in China. What he found was people on these small farms were healthier as they didn’t get exposed to as many pesticides and the training needed for biotech seed was able to be done as seed was purchased and required little protection from exposure. On the other hand insecticides can really provide challenges and many farmers in remote rural areas don’t have access to good safety gear, etc. I found this old slide deck that explains some of that https://www.princeton.edu/morefoodlesscarbon/speakers/carl-pray/Carl_Pray.pdf and small holders have in so many instances changed their situations for the better, being able to send kids to school, being able to purchase a cow, etc. It is truly amazing to see first-hand.

Where there are practices that can help Indian farmers be more productive or efficient with resource use, we have done a variety of training programs. Some of the really neat stuff is done via text message since so many farmers have access to that but may not have computers & email.

Please tell me if this discussion helps any, if you still have questions, etc. I love thinking through these topics and sharing my perspective as well as hearing the concerns of others.

Also, why would these seeds be sold to farmer who are rain reliant and who operate manually on such small farms? Aren’t the Bt seeds designed for industrial farming and don’t they require more water? Is this something Monsanto looks into or provides insight on to help educate their customers?

I live on a farm in Mudhol, which is in north Karnataka,in the southern part of India.I have a riverside farm,so we pump out water from the river to irrigate the crops.But with more demands on the river these days it tends to dry up in the summer months.Welcome to India again,and this time look us up.
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Where are you in India? I traveled to Kerala, Andra Pradesh and then the golden triangle with a side trip out to Pushkar.

You’re welcome. I appreciated the thought-prompter they gave, also was nice to glance back through some photos and remember the true challenges faced in India.