Bt Referral Laboratory
- Dr. Joy Das, Sr. Scientist – Nodal Officer
- Dr. Rakesh Kumar, Sr. Scientist – Member
- Dr. Vivek Shah, Sr. Scientist – Member
Brief Introduction of the lab:
The Biotechnology Laboratory at the ICAR-Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), Nagpur, has
been designated by the Government of India as the Central Seed Laboratory and National Referral
Laboratory for Bt Cotton Seeds under the Seeds Act, 1966 and the Seeds Rules, 1968 (Gazette
Notification S.O. 1300(E), dated 12 November 2003 and S.O. 1107 (E), dated 8 May 2008). The
laboratory is mandated to detect the presence or absence of Bt cry toxins (viz. Cry1AC, Cry2AB) in
cotton seeds and serves as the referral authority for Bt cotton seed quality verification and dispute
resolution across India. The laboratory also verifies gene purity and Bt toxin levels for Refugia in Bag
(RIB) seed formats, ensuring correct Bt to non-Bt seed ratios in line with Insect Resistance
Management (IRM) requirements.
Major focus areas: Bt Toxin (Protein) Expression Testing, Refugia in Bag (RIB) Compliance Testing
Facilities and key equipment: PPT enclosed
Ongoing projects:
Testing for BGI and BGII entries (hybrids and varieties) of cotton under ICAR-AICRP on Cotton, and
other station trials.
Significant Achievements:
Since 2017, the laboratory has successfully tested 487 dispute-related samples, providing supporting
evidence required by courts to resolve seed quality litigations and technical conflicts related to Bt-
cotton.
