New whitefly-resistant cotton variety successfully developed in India

According to reports, the whitefly-resistant cotton variety had already been successfully developed and known to the scientific community as early as 2013, but in fact, until Indian farmland was caught off guard by a whitefly infestation this year, it had remained confined within the National Botanical Research Institute and had not truly been put into use.

India's total cotton planting area is about 40 million acres, spread across 9 states including Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. Whiteflies have caused damage to different crops in different countries at different times, and this is the first time India has suffered such a severe whitefly infestation domestically.

Since 1994, the National Botanical Research Institute has been engaged in cotton crop research, which is why the whitefly-resistant cotton variety was vigorously researched and developed. In the experiment, cotton seeds were injected with a protein extracted from a medicinal plant that has insect-resistant properties, and then cultivated in a greenhouse, ultimately resulting in the development of a new whitefly-resistant cotton variety.

"We have informed Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana of this research result, and the university has shown great interest in the new whitefly-resistant cotton variety." Indian Prime Minister Singh stated that, in addition, the Central Institute for Cotton Research in Nagpur, a laboratory of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, was also notified, but they gave no further response.

Before this cotton variety enters the market, it still needs approval from the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee and other regulatory bodies, followed by field trials.