Secretary of the Cotton Council Sh. Otajonov Visited Namangan Region

The Director of the National Center for Knowledge and Innovation in Agriculture, Secretary of the Cotton Council under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Sh. Otajonov, is currently in the Namangan region. During the visit, a seminar was held in the Pop, Kosonsoy, and Mingbuloq districts with the participation of representatives of farming enterprises on topics such as the cultivation of genetically modified (Bt) cotton varieties, managing resistance to diseases and pests, and implementing highly efficient local intensive agro-technologies.

The seminar was attended by members of the regional working group of the Cotton Council, specialists from the Namangan Regional Agro-Service Center, and heads and experts from various organizations in the region.

Bt cotton is a genetically modified cotton variety that contains Cry genes, which synthesize proteins toxic to insect pests, as well as genes that provide resistance to the herbicide glyphosate. Resistance to the cotton bollworm is achieved by introducing the genetic material of the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). This genetic material encodes proteins that are toxic to pests but safe for mammals and non-target organisms. The transition to Bt technology worldwide began in 1996. Due to patent restrictions, this technology could not be implemented in our country before, and it has only recently been introduced through foreign breeding.

During the visit, specialists led by Sh. Otajonov also visited the seed processing facility at the Toshbuloq Teks LLC joint venture in Namangan district, where they observed the cotton seed preparation process.

This year, the industry aims to further develop the cotton sector, introduce the Bt gene into local varieties, and enhance the resistance of domestic cotton varieties to stress factors while protecting yields from the cotton bollworm.