Three major advances have driven agriculture in India: the Green Revolution, the first hybrid seeds and the introduction of the biotechnology sector. The union of these three events have managed to configure this sector as the backbone of the population and the economy. Agriculture is the main pillar in the population and economy of India is based. It provides support for most of the 600 million people in rural areas living in half a million people, having approximately one billion people in rural and urban areas that depend directly on agriculture. As important and necessary this sector in India until the Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru made independent colony, stressed its importance by stating that "everything else can wait, but not agriculture.".
Progress.
The first major development came from the hands of the Green Revolution in the 60s and 70s, which led to an increase in food production unprecedented. In these decades also began to enter a second advance, the first hybrid seed crops (which were developed in the 60s) regulated by example in 1960 maize in 1962 millet or rice in 1994. The third breakthrough occurred in 2002 with the application of biotechnology to crops, allowing the approval and marketing of Bt cotton. This cotton incorporates a gene that confers resistance to attacks by malicious outsiders. The experience of Bt cotton in India is an example that clearly demonstrates the enormous impact that can be achieved through the adoption of genetically modified seeds. Genetic engineering has great potential to accelerate the improvement of crops, providing great results.
Cotton Bt.
The Bt cotton hybrid seeds allow farmers in India a reduction of 39% in insecticides, 31% increase in yield or 88% increase in profitability, equivalent gain about $ 250 per hectare. All this shows that Bt cotton is contributing to poverty reduction for small farmers who represent the majority of the poor in India.