Videos

In this video you will learn about the best practices followed and precautions that must be taken through the process of harvesting and post-harvest handling during the storage, ginning transportation, etc.

In this video, you will see step by step process for testing Bt contamination in non-GM cotton seeds, using Bt strips. You will also learn the procedure to determine the germination potential of the seeds before sowing.

In this video, you will learn about different breeding techniques ranging from simply selecting plants with desirable characteristics to methods such as emasculation, pollination involving the crossing of closely or distantly related individuals to produce new crop varieties (hybridization), maintenance of the parental lines and seed multiplication.

In this video, you will learn about different breeding techniques ranging from simply selecting plants with desirable characteristics to methods such as emasculation, pollination involving the crossing of closely or distantly related individuals to produce new crop varieties (hybridization), maintenance of the parental lines and seed multiplication.

In this video, you will learn about different breeding techniques ranging from simply selecting plants with desirable characteristics to methods such as emasculation, pollination involving the crossing of closely or distantly related individuals to produce new crop varieties (hybridization), maintenance of the parental lines and seed multiplication.

In this video, you will learn about the best practices followed and preparation of organic inputs for Integrated Pest Management in organic cotton cultivation.

In 2002, genetically modified cotton seed came onto the Indian market for the first time. It promises protection against the dreaded cotton bollworm. At first everything looks like a success story: less pesticide use and higher yields at the same time. After only a few years, negative side effects appear. Organic farming would be an alternative. But there are hardly any GMO-free varieties. Traditional breeding has been neglected and must first be rebuilt. FiBL employee Monika Messmer has been in charge of breeding projects in India since 2011. In the video she describes the eventful history of organic cotton cultivation in India.
 

In 2002, Monsanto's genetically modified cotton Saargut was introduced in India. By 2013, 95% of the cotton seeds in India had already been genetically modified. This was a problem for organic cotton producers as they were not allowed to use genetically modified seeds. Remei AG, a pioneer in organic cotton and supplier of Coop Naturaline and Mammut, plans to establish a seed bank with new, high-quality seeds over the next five years with the help of the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture in Frick and the University of Dharwad in India.
 

Hans Peter Jost has published three parts of his video documentation about the topic organic cotton in India (in german).
 

Over 70 experts and project partners took part in the symposium "Participatory Research to foster Innovation in Agriculture" at ETH Zürich on the 28th August, 2014. The event was organized by FiBL and hosted at ETH by the Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center. The main conclusions from the discussion were, that participatory research not only has to focus on the farmers and researchers, but at the same time on all other stakeholders of the value chain, including marketing and consumers.

For more information about the symposium, click here or view the video below.