Indian cotton farming has been experiencing the resurgence of pink bollworm (PBW) during the recent year even after adopting Bt technology that protects from bollworm infestation. In the recent past, pest infestation particularly by PBW caused large-scale damage in cotton production of India. Here, question comes to the scientific backing of Bt trait to control bollworm infestation in Bt cotton. Another important concern which needs to be noted is that pink bollworm developed the resistance only in India among the 14 Bt cotton-growing countries. It means only the efficacy of Bt trait cannot be denounced, but the complex mechanism including both off the field (seed quality including trait purity) and on the field (farm practices) needs to be studied. Farm practice involving the Insect Resistance Management (IRM) Practices offer delaying of resistance development by the target pests. The study attempted to evaluate

adoption level of IRM practices by the farmers and its effect in cotton cultivation. The study was carried out in 2018 in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Highlights

• It is found that farmers are hardly aware of two important measures of IRM- growing refuge crops and use of pheromone traps.
• The average yield is found to be higher for the farmers with high IRM adoption level in all the three states.
• Both, yield and net return from cotton increases in increasing order of IRM adoption level (low, medium and high) by the farmers in all three states.