Bt cotton: Evaluating farmers' perception in Tamil Nadu, India

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton is a genetically modified plant. Since the introduction and commercialization of Bt cotton in India, most of the area for cotton production has been occupied by the Bt cotton. However, despite its popularity, some farmers are still very much sceptical about the advantages of planting Bt and are wary of its possible effects on conventional cotton, the environment and the health of humans and as such, would not cultivate it. A binomial logit model was employed in investigating factors influencing farmers' attitude towards Bt cotton adoption. The results indicated that farmers with owned lands were less likely to cultivate Bt cotton than farmers with lease in lands. Also, educated farmers had greater likelihood of planting Bt than illiterate farmers. It is concluded that efforts in cotton research will be more beneficial if farmers are educated and if cotton research is tailored towards the needs of specific locations.