Concerned over the fading away of traditional cotton seeds, city businessman Jaganath Shenoi, managing trustee of Smt D Ramabai Charitable Trust, on Friday pledged Rs 50 lakh for research to develop a new hybrid desi cotton seed by the University of Agricultural Sciences. In the first installment, he handed over a cheque of Rs 8.68 lakh to the varsity. For the five-year project, field trials will be conducted in different parts of the country including Mysore’s Heggadadevana Kote where there is intense cotton cultivation. The main aim is to propagate non-BT cotton hybrids and varieties having better performance. The seed will remain in public domain and be a gift to farmers, say stakeholders.