Punjab University's New Cotton Variety to Save Farmers PKR 170 Billion Annually.

Lahore -- 15 Oct 2023:

In a breakthrough for Pakistan's agriculture sector, Punjab University-Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB) has introduced a new triple gene cotton variety, CKC-05. Designed to resist pink bollworm and glyphosate, this innovation is projected to reduce cotton production costs for farmers by an estimated PKR 170 billion per year.

Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Idrees Ahmad Nasir and Prof. Dr. Tayyeb Hasnain, CKC-05 boasts high-yield characteristics and the ability to counteract all types of bollworms, including the otherwise expensive-to-manage pink bollworm. The Punjab Seed Council has greenlit the CKC-5 variety for general cultivation, marking it as a significant accomplishment for Punjab University in their endeavours to elevate cotton production and strengthen Pakistan's economic foundation.

The CKC technology, encompassing double Bt genes (CEMB-Cry1Ac+Cry2A) and a glyphosate resistance gene (CEMB-GTG), empowers farmers to enhance profits by cutting down on insecticide usage and hoeing expenditures. With CKC technology varieties, such as CKC-1, CKC-3, CKC-5, and CKC-6, almost 70% of the total cotton cultivation area has been covered this year. The adoption of these varieties assists farmers in efficiently managing bollworms and weeds, pushing Pakistan towards cotton...