When Ms Eseza Eriaku a resident of Serere in Soroti District retired from teaching, she hastily opened up a garden to grow cotton. This was after she was convinced that the price of cotton was to be attractive this year.
She planted six acres of cotton in this year’s first season, little did she know, she would abandon the crop six months later after her first harvest.
“I fell into trouble with weeding and buying pesticides,” Ms Eriaku says.
“They advised me to intercrop the garden with beans so that pests can spare cotton and feed on beans. But again, it failed to work out. I ended up registering about 60 per cent yield loss, forcing me to abandon the project,” she says.
According to the Cotton Development Organisation (CDO) statistics, weeds and insect pests or the bollworms cause as high as 80 to 100 per cent yield losses to some cotton farmers in Uganda and discourage the farmers who grow the crop.
In a move that would address both challenges, Uganda has started tasting its first-ever genetically-modified cotton (GM cotton). The two-type GM cotton varieties-Herbicide Tolerant (Ht) Cotton and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton- are being tasted by scientists at the National Semi-Arid Resource Research Institute (NaSARRI) at Serere in Soroti District. And they are showing early indicators of pest-resistance and herbicide-tolerance. NaSARRI Director Thomas Areke says Bt cotton has the ability to withstand bollworms and Ht cotton tolerates roundup chemicals sprayed to destroy weeds in confined fields trial (CFT) sites at Serere and Mubuku in Kasese district.
“The crops are vigorously growing and have flowered without any disease, pest or weed infestations,” Dr Areke told a Cotton CFT sensitisation seminar held at NaSARRI on October 7. He says they ventured into improving the crop using biotechnology to get varieties that would increase productivity and benefit farmers.Uganda farmers need better pest control measures and weed management opportunities, scientists have to look for technologies that can enhance production, Dr Areke added.
He also said the crop is environmentally friendly because it reduces the spread of chemicals. According to Mr Pius Elobu, the Trial Manager, Bt cotton produces a protein that paralyses the larvae of some harmful insect, including the cotton bollworm. He says though tests are promising, both varieties have not yet been released.
“They are still under confinement. I assure the public that what the research here, has not gone out and will not be released until the National Biosafety law that guides the operation of biotechnology is enacted,” Mr Elobu, a senior research scientist at NaSARRI said. According to Elobu, research on GM cotton started at a confined stage with 20 kilogrammes of BT cotton seeds which were shipped into the country from Monsanto, a US-based agro-dealer company. In Uganda, GM cotton is a second genetically modified crop currently being tested after bananas.The testing however, comes at a time when genetically modified organisms (GMO) crops are facing criticism all over the world. Those opposing the technology claim the crops may have future side-effects to human beings.
But Dr Theresa Sengooba, the Regional Coordinator of Programme for Biosafety System (PBS) says people should not have to worry about the new technology under test. She says the GM cotton, which is under trial is an aspect of biotechnology, a tool people have lived with for some time.
Biotechnology in form of GMOs is not unique, “It’s one of the tools scientists worldwide have been using to improve crop productivity,” Dr Sengooba, who was giving a key-note address on Confined field trials (CFTs) and what next after CFTs, explained.
She says 60 per cent of cotton produced in the world is GM cotton. “And if this technology is being utilised elsewhere in the world, why we don’t try it in Uganda?” she asked. The scientist says the new technology would not deny farmers from applying indigenous knowledge currently used in growing cotton.
Dr Sengooba explained that those questioning Uganda’s ability to handle GMOs should understand that the country has capacity to carryout substantial research on the technology and once the product reaches commercialisation stage, those involved in the study would build capacities. The project is funded by Usaid, through Naro and the Agriculture Biotechnology Support Project (ABSP II) as well as PBS based at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
Mr Amos Mugisha, the chairman of the Uganda Ginners and Cotton Exporters Association said once the two varieties are released for commercialisation, they (varieties) would benefit small scale farmers.
He said, more cotton would be produced to feed ginneries that are currently operating below capacity at 30 percent.
He said in Uganda, most cotton farmers are peasants who own one to five acres gardens.
And given that they are smallholder farmers, they find weeding a major constraint since they have to weed up to six times during the growing season. However, Mr Mugisha suggested that researchers should combined the two varieties into one product that would withstand pests and tolerant to roundup.
Cotton growing had declined due to conflicts in the sector, pests and diseases, unstable international market prices and drought. However, since most Uganda’s cotton is exported in its row form, it is currently contribute only 1.5 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
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