PJTAU Hyderabad Unveils WGCV Bt-28 Public Bt Cotton Seed Variety

The Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University (PJTAU) in Hyderabad has officially unveiled its first public Bt cotton seed variety, named 'WGCV Bt-28', to provide farmers with a cheaper and resowable crop option. Announced on Saturday, July 4, 2026, the new variety is expected to reduce seed costs significantly and challenge the long-standing dominance of private companies in the Bt cotton sector.

Prior to this development, Bt cotton variety seeds were exclusively developed and distributed by private companies. PJTAU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Aldas Janaiah, stated during the announcement that the new variety could mitigate the dominance of private companies in the seed sector, which has persisted for the last 20 years.

One of the most significant economic benefits of the 'WGCV Bt-28' variety is the reduction of cultivation costs. Prof. Janaiah explained that using this seed variety would reduce the cost of seeds by approximately Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 5,000 per acre. Furthermore, the new variety allows farmers the opportunity to re-sow their own harvested seeds, a feature not typically available with private Bt cotton seeds.

The new high-yielding Bt cotton variety is suitable for the irrigated conditions of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. It has a crop maturity duration of 160 to 170 days. During testing in research fields, the variety recorded an average cotton yield of 23 to 25 quintals per hectare.

In addition to its high yield, 'WGCV Bt-28' is characterized by its resistance to sucking pests, good boll characteristics, and improved cotton quality.

Alongside this major announcement, the State Level Crop Varieties Release Committee approved the release of 11 other new crop varieties developed by PJTAU. These state-level recommendations include six high-yielding and pest-resistant varieties of rice, and one variety each of maize, soybean, sorghum, millet, and another type of millet.