Patanjali Civil Services Academy

Illegal GM Hybrids in Cotton: Study [Prelims Bits]

Tags: Prelims Current events of national and international importance

Source: The Indian Express

Context: FSSI–NSAI field study estimates 26.2–29 lakh ha (24–30%) of India’s cotton area in 2025–26 was under unauthorised GM hybrids.
These mainly contain unapproved herbicide-tolerance (HT) or Bt genes.
Legally approved GM cotton in India: Bt cotton containing Cry1Ac + Cry2Ab genes derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
Unauthorised traits detected:
- cp4-epsps: confers glyphosate herbicide tolerance.
- Vip3A: insecticidal protein effective against a broader range of bollworm larvae.
cp4-epsps allows farmers to spray glyphosate for weed control without killing the tolerant cotton crop.
Study detected cp4-epsps in 72.69% of tested field samples; Vip3A in 53.74%.
Major hotspot States: Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Rising adoption driven by labour shortages and high manual-weeding costs.
Unauthorised HT-Bt cotton is associated with increased glyphosate use.
Study estimates unauthorised HT-Bt seed market expanded from ~35 lakh packets (2017–18) to 82–88 lakh packets (2025–26).
India currently permits commercial cultivation only of Bt cotton among GM food/cash crops.
GEAC (Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee) under the MoEFCC is the statutory body involved in appraisal/approval of environmental release of genetically engineered organisms.

Q1. Consider the following pairs

GM component/term	Associated feature
1. Cry1Ac	Insecticidal Bt protein
2. Cry2Ab	Insecticidal Bt protein
3. cp4-epsps	Glyphosate tolerance
4. Vip3A	Insecticidal activity against certain insect larvae

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four

Answer: (d)

Explanation:

Cry1Ac — Correct: Bt-derived insecticidal protein used against important cotton insect pests.
Cry2Ab — Correct: Another Bt-derived insecticidal protein incorporated into India's approved Bt cotton technology.
cp4-epsps — Correct: Confers tolerance to glyphosate, an herbicide.
Vip3A — Correct: Produces an insecticidal protein with activity against a range of insect larvae, including bollworm-related pests.