BT cotton

BT cotton

1. Genetically engineered

   • form of cotton

2. Advantage of biotech in agrculture

   • Increases productivity

3. Development

   • insertion of synthetic version of gene
     • from bacterium
       • Bacillus thuringiensis
     • Into cotton
       • Induces the plant
         • to produce own Bt toxins
           • destroys pest e.g. bollworn
     • Causes production of Bt toxin
       • in all parts of plant
       • During life span

4. Advantages and disadvantages

   • Cons
     • financial damage to traditional farmers
     • Risk of crossbreeding with native plants
     • Reduced variation, increased susceptability to disaster
     • Doesn't always work
       • Some insects are unaffected
         • aphids
         • requires more pesticides
       • wastes valuable money and time
         • Indian farmers heavily reliant on its success for survival
           • Crop failure may often result in farmer suicide
   • Pros
     • Lower risk of poisoning ppl who work with pesticides
     • Less danger to wildlife and environment
     • Fewer pesticides therefore lower costs

5. Without Bt?

   • Reliance on pesticides
   • More susceptible to pests
     • lepidopteran larvae
     • Cotton Harlequin bug
   • natural process
     • planted (natural or machine)
       • in good soil moisture
         • warm temperature
       • usually a week to emerge
       • occasionally disease sets in
         • Delays seed's appearance
         • Crust may also interfere
           • must be broken via irrigation or machine

6. Bt stands for Bacillus thuringiensis