India, Oct. 8 -- While India has not approved herbicide-tolerant Bt (HTBt) cotton, farmers appear to be adopting it at scale. A new field study estimates that unauthorised cotton was cultivated on 65-72 lakh acres during the 2025-26 kharif season, accounting for 24-30% of India's total cotton acreage. The study says the spread is being driven by labour shortages and the high cost of manual weeding.

The study, conducted by the South Asia Biotechnology Centre (SABC) with support from the Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) and National Seed Association of India (NSAI), covered 16 cotton-growing districts across Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. It combined farmer surveys, supply-chain assessments and laboratory ...