The next meeting of the Cotton Council under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan was held
A meeting of the Republican Cotton Council members was held, dedicated to the results of 2024 and the plans for 2025. The meeting discussed the cultivation of genetically modified (Bt) cotton varieties, their management for disease and pest resistance, and the implementation of high-efficiency local intensive agrotechnologies.
The new cotton farming experience for the 2025 harvest will include the following directions:
"Until now, we have not advocated or promoted any specific variety. Foreign agrotechnology, which has come along with foreign varieties, is crucial for us. Our farmers need to understand this well. The transition to Bt technology began globally in 1996. Due to the fact that this technology is patented, it has not been possible to implement it in our country until now. This technology has entered our country along with foreign selection. By 2025, it is necessary to set up mechanisms for implementing cotton farming policy. To this end, seminars and training sessions with the participation of scientists will be organized for clarification and promotion," said Shuhrat Otajonov.
At the end of the meeting, the development of an action plan for monitoring foreign and local cotton varieties was planned. The issue of reviewing the composition of regional working groups of the council was also discussed.
Bt cotton is a cotton variety in which genes that synthesize proteins toxic to insects and pests, as well as genes resistant to the herbicide glyphosate, have been introduced into the plant’s genetic material. Resistance to cotton bollworm is achieved by transferring genetic material from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to the plant. This genetic material codes for proteins that have toxic effects on insects and pests but do not harm mammals or non-target organisms.