Cotton Curse: Damage by pink bollworm to Bt Cotton worst in two decades

Subject : Geography

Section: Economic Geography

The pink bollworm (PBW) pest has decimated Bt Cotton crops in the northern cotton zone of Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab this year. Many farmers have reported being unable to complete even one harvest.
at least 80 to 90 per cent of their crop was damaged by the infestation of PBW (Pectinophoragossypiella), also known as Saunders. This is the pest’s most severe damage in the last two decades.
PBW is a worm that damages parts of the developing cotton fruit, like the square (the flower bud) and the boll (rounded sac of seeds with cotton fibres). The adult worm is a thin, grey moth that lays eggs on buds, flowers and bolls. The eggs hatch into larvae and burrow into bolls to feed on the the seeds. In the process, it cuts through the lint and stains it, resulting in quality loss.
The disease is common in cotton crop and has made its presence in the northern cotton zone in recent years. However, the damage this year has been the highest since 2001, according to both government officials and farmers. Before 2001, the American bollworm created havoc and ruined the lives of farmers.
The Indian government introduced the genetically modified pest-resistant cotton variety Bt Cotton (Bollgard II seed) to provide resistance against the American bollworm, pink bollworm, and spotted bollworm. However, the pink bollworm has developed resistance to Bt cotton over time.