Farmers' Team Finds that for Insect Control Expensive Bt Seeds Not Needed Of the total pesticides used in the country, largest portion, more than half by one estimate, is used in cotton. That is why Vidarbha region, the cotton growing area, is notorious for suicides by farmers; that is why, it was in cotton that expensive and foreign company provided genetically modified (GM / BT) seed first came in India. However, when this Tuesday, 8 farmers from 5 villages of Rohtak, Jhajjar and Sonepat districts who have adopted natural farming along with two activists of natural farming movement, visited the fields of Rajbala of the Nidana village of Jind District, they were surprised to see bumper harvest of cotton, with out the use of any kind of insecticide what so ever. Surprise gave way to understanding when the women farmers present there, with the help of ordinary and simple magnifying glasses, identified some insects to be vegetarian and hence potentially harmful to the crops, and other insects to be carnivorous which keep the former insects under control. Much like school girls, these women, with notebook, pen and magnifying glasses in hand, spread out in the cotton field in groups of 5 each to examine ten cotton plants each. Whenever, they spotted a new insect, they rushed to two cooperative agricultural officials and their guides, Dr. Surender Dalal and Dr Kamal Saini. They noted their observations in the group notebook. Finally, all groups gathered at one point and put their observations to charts. This was compared with last week's data and based on this, they reached the conclusion that though there were harmful insects in the field there was as yet nothing to worry as insect population was below economic damage threshold. When asked what their message to the rest of Haryana was, they all said in one voice that based on our experience, we can say with certainty that at least for the purpose of pest control, farmers do not need to mess up with the nature. There are enough friendly insects in the nature that can keep effective check on damaging pests, if not eliminate them. An elderly woman added that "Sister, seeds of nothing should be wiped out'. What an environmentally sensitive thought! This programme, on insect literacy, was started with male farmers three years ago. Though it begab with out any preconceived notion of stopping the use of insecticide, yet, when based on their own field experience, men folk wanted to stop insecticide use, women of the household would resent it. Therefore, this year insect literacy programme for women was launched. Now, these women have stopped using pesticide not only in cotton but also in other crops too. Moreover, they are putting pressure on their parents back home to keep at least one acre pesticide free for their sake. The tour program coordinator, Prof Rajinder Chaudhary, Department of Economics, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, said that presence of bumper crop of cotton despite the presence of many insects was surprising because normal mentality is to consider every insect an enemy and kill at sight every insect. The experience also proved that multinational supplied and extremely costly genetically modified (GM / BT) seeds are not needed to check harmful insects.
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