Jun 15, 2012 the study monitored the impacts of socalled bt cotton over more than 20 years and 2. This research programme focuses on the impacts of genetically modified gm cotton crops bacillus thuringiensis cotton. Transgenic bt cotton boon or bane to the indian farmers. Cotton offers some advantages in that its inexpensive, absorbent, breathable and soft. When insects ingest the endotoxin, it breaks down the wall of the gut, leaking bacteria throughout the insects body and causing death by septicemia. Jul 17, 2012 despite widespread adoption of genetically modified crops in many countries, heated controversies about their advantages and disadvantages continue.
Bt cotton is a very controversial topic in the agscience communities and this was an attempt to understand the science behind it and possibly provide the viewersattendees some answers for their questions. It is well known that the cotton bollworms develop resistance to bt. Bt cotton, with the trade name bollgardi, developed by mahycomonsanto biotech ltd is genetically engineered with the bacillus thuringiensis bt gene with a protein that is toxic to the bollworm pest. Controlling for all other factors, bt increases cotton yield by 126 kg per acre, which is equivalent to a 24% gain over mean yields on conventional cotton plots. As cotton began to gain high popularity, in 2009, a group of entomologist from monsanto corporation found and confirmed the pink bollworm a major cotton pest has developed resistance to bt cotton in 4 states in india monsanto. Many economic studies contradict this view, but most of them look at short. Find out the meaning advantages and disadvantages of genetically modified or gm crops which will be useful for the upscprelims, ssc, state services, nda, cds, and railways etc. This is a major problem in india where the farmers are struggling to make a living. These genes encode for the production of insecticidal proteins, and thus, genetically transformed plants produce one or more toxins as they grow. This was the worlds first recorded instance of resistance to bt cotton. Firstly, it was grown in us and then was introduced to brazil, mexico, argentina, south africa, australia and china and then it was introduced all over the world, gradually. This gene was sourced from the soil bacteria bacillus thuringiensis bt, and it enabled the plant to produce the bt protein which killed cottons major pest, heliothis or the cotton bollworm, when it ate the leaves.
The bt dummy variable captures bt adoption in any year, whereas the additional bt 20062008. Strangely, this seems to have been less acknowledged by detractors of the bt cotton technology. For cotton growers, there was a lot of pressure from pests before the introduction of bt cotton in 1996. In 1996, the introduction of bt cotton made it possible to reactivate this crop, which in previous years was greatly reduced due to pest problems, production costs and environmental concerns. This is roughly about 3 to 8 times the cost of conventional seeds the new york times. Genetically engineered also called genetically modified or gm cotton is currently grown on 25 million hectares around the world, mostly in india, china, pakistan and the us. Jun 22, 2018 in 1996, the introduction of bt cotton made it possible to reactivate this crop, which in previous years was greatly reduced due to pest problems, production costs and environmental concerns. For example, in the case of the estimates that use the damage control function, gz approaches 1 after z reaches 1 kg per hectare for bt cotton and about 10 kg per hectare for nonbt cotton, while actual uses of pesticides in bt cotton range from 11. The purpose is also to share knowledge with the scientific.
Results of panel fixedeffects specifications of a cotton yield function are shown in table 2 full model results with all control variables are shown in table s2. Mar 24, 2007 we dont eat cotton or cotton products cotton seed meal, while high in protein, is toxic. How to describe the disadvantages and advantages of bt. Pros and cons of 20 years of gmo cotton production. What are the advantages and disadvantages of genetically. Especially for developing countries, there are concerns that genetically modified crops fail to benefit smallholder farmers and contribute to social and economic hardship. It is commonly referred to as bt cotton, because it produces an insecticidal protein from the naturally occurring soil bacterium bacillus thuringiensis bt.
Bt cotton is a genetically engineered form of natural cotton. In agriculture, genetic modification gm can address crop protection issues, e. Bt cotton is a widely accepted tool for cotton producers and has proven to be efficient for the control of lepidopteran pests. Ecological impacts of gm cotton on soil biodiversity. Introduction bt cotton is one of the first genetically modified gm crop technologies with wide distribution in developing countries. Insectresistant cotton was first introduced commercially in 1996. My very first power point presentation in my undergraduate degree for a biotechnology class.
Evaluation of the impact of genetically modified cotton. Disadvantages higher cost of seeds higher fertilizer and irrigation cost higher harvest cost 18. Bt cotton has been genetically modified by the insertion of one or more genes from a common soil bacterium, bacillus thuringiensis. Yield of plots planted with bt cotton increased by 24% compared with conventional cotton plots. The main advantage of utilizing biotechnology in agriculture are the possibilities of increase in productivity through the use of newer varieties that possess properties such as resistance to pests, diseases, and other stressful conditions like drought, salinity, or water logging. Bt cotton is an example in this scenario anonymous, 2001. What are the advantages and disadvantages of cotton. Economic impacts and impact dynamics of bt bacillus. Advantages and disadvantages of bt cotton free essay. Follow the explanation to understand the need of such a crop and how it is exactly done. Bt corn is created by inserting a gene into the dna of the plant that causes the corn to produce a protein, called bt delta endotoxin. Download ecological impacts of gm cotton on soil biodiversity gmcotton. Bt cotton are early in maturing as compared to non bt cotton.
Bt cotton can substantially reduce the number of pesticide sprayings, which reduces worker and environmental exposure to chemical insecticides and reduces energy use. Transgenic bt cotton, which evokes inbuilt resistance in the host is gaining wider adaptability as a means of avoidance of losses due to bollworm because the technology operates at seed level dissemination and find quick favour among the users. Strains of the bacterium bacillus thuringiensis produce over 200 different bt toxins, each harmful to different insects. Cotton is one of the major fibre crops of global significance, it is only cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions. Advantages and disadvantages of bt cotton cotton is one of the major fiber crops, which is used for a variety of industrial productions. Since its introduction in 1996, bt cotton use rapidly grew to 50 to 70% of cotton acreage in arizona. Several studies have shown that bt cotton adoption is associated with signi. This inbuilt insect resistance can lead to savings in chemical pest control and higher effective yields in farmers. It is true that insecticides are now being used for sapsucking pest control on bt cotton hybrids. Significant economic and production advantages have resulted from growing bt cotton globally. The article focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of bt. Bt cotton has several advantages over non bt cotton. Pros and cons of 20 years of gmo cotton production presentation.
When discussing the advantages and disadvantages of gm. Razan alhaj, jaycee nguyen, sarah ronquillo, and sharissa soriano march 24, 2014 worldwide as many may know, bt cotton is a cotton plant that has been genetically modified to produce a toxin known as bt bacillus thuringiensis, hence the name bt cotton. Insects belonged to lepidoptera bollworms are sensitive to crystalline endotoxic protein produced by bt gene which in turn protects cotton from bollworms. Bt cotton benefits, costs, and impacts linkedin slideshare. Mar 14, 2018 find out the meaning advantages and disadvantages of genetically modified or gm crops which will be useful for the upscprelims, ssc, state services, nda, cds, and railways etc. There are no potentially physical health hazards, while in the form of semi fabrics or raw material. Since the 1990s, when the first gmos were introduced into the human food supply chain, the advantages and disadvantages of this technology and its outcomes have been debated. Introduction cotton is one of the major fibre crops of global significance. A study conducted on 533 farm households between 2002 and 2008, who switched to bt cotton has following findings. Monsanto had come out with bt cotton with two cry genes.
The experimental work was based upon the need to establish the risk of. The most celebrated problem ever associated with bt crops was the claim that pollen from bt maize could kill the monarch butterfly. Bt cotton, merits and expected demerits biotech articles. Bt cotton offers an opportunity to reduce use of pesticides more hazardous than the toxins produced by the bacillus thuringiensis bt bacterium. Farmers used to bt cotton may not really think of an alternative immediately and may consider the pink bollworm problem this season an anomaly. Global adoption of bt cotton has risen dramatically from 800,000 hectares in its year of introduction in 1996 to 5. Bt cotton was created by genetically altering the cotton genome to express a microbial protein from the bacterium bacillus thuringiensis in short, the transgene inserted into the plants genome produces toxin crystals that the plant would not normally produce. Disadvantages of bt cotton bt cotton has several advantages but it has some limitations also, which were given as below. Cry protein bt toxin advantages of btcrops like brinjal and cottona lot of crop gets destroyed by the insect and nematodes. Advantages of bt cotton bt cotton has several advantages over non bt cotton. In india and china, in particular, the area under bt cotton has increased sharply over the last couple of years, reaching 25 million acres in 2007 james, 2007. Bt cotton contains genes from bacillus thuringiensis that make the plant resistant to the cotton bollworm complex. Farmers were losing much of their cotton to tobacco budworms, cotton bollworms, and pink bollworms. Bt cotton is an insectresistant transgenic crop designed to combat the bollworm.
Disadvantages of gm bt cotton genetic modification. After the centre capped the prices of bt cotton seeds in 2016, monsanto withdrew its application for sale of a herbicidetolerant bt cotton seed. We conclude that bt cotton has created large and sustainable benefits, which contribute to positive economic and social development in india. The protein is lethal to certain cropdestroying larvae. Many countries have experienced different challenges while using the genetically modified organism. The governments in these states are looking into the issue. The advantages and disadvantages of cotton advantages durability, softness, comfortable, absorbs body moisture and the fibre is strong. However, a recent study has shown that the bollworms are able to survive and reproduce in bt hybrids even with two cry genes9. Strangely, this seems to have been less acknowledged by detractors of the btcotton technology. Bt cotton for short on soil biodiversity and ecosystem function. What are the advantages or disadvantages of selecting bt. Jul 17, 2012 we further show that bt cotton adoption has raised consumption expenditures, a common measure of household living standard, by 18% during the 20062008 period. Apr 12, 2014 advantages of btcotton yield superiority more profit lesser need of pesticide better quality suitability for early sowing 17.
Therefore, bt cotton has already proved useful in countries where it has been introduced earlier. Evaluation of the impact of genetically modified cotton after. Most notably, bt toxins are insecticidal to the larvae of moths and butterflies, beetles, cotton bollworms and ghtu flies but are harmless to other forms of life. Bt cotton successfully repels the boll weevil larvae, one of the pests of cotton plants, and other larval insects that harm the plant. The gene coding for bt toxin has been inserted into cotton as a transgene, causing it to. Known as bt or ingard cotton, the cotton was developed by csiro, using a gene owned by monsanto. Increases yield of cotton due to effective control of three types of bollworms, viz.
Pesticides are toxic to the environment and often nonbiodegradable. The positive and significant coefficient of bt in column 1 indicates that bt has a positive net impact on cotton yield per acre. Jan 21, 2018 the governments in these states are looking into the issue. However the damage the cotton plants received from bollworms, cotton has undergone a process where bt has been added to its gene to combat the pesticides. Ecologically it may be problematic, as we still dont have a feel for how inserting this bt gene into the cotton gene pool is going to affect weedy relatives, or the diversity of our cotton. Questions and answers central institute for cotton research. The study monitored the impacts of socalled bt cotton over more than 20 years and 2. Since bt crops are able to defend themselves against pests, the use of chemical insecticides is significantly reduced, thereby encouraging the proliferation of beneficial organisms. The us has somewhat embraced gmos, while the rest of the world has treated them with great hesitation. Higher crop yields the introduction of bt cotton has affected the production of cotton worldwide hugely. Bt cotton in india india is the largest cotton producer and consumer country after china. The link below will take you to a video that explains the pros and cons of 20 years of gmo cotton production from keith edmisten, professor of crop and soil sciences and nc state extension cotton specialist.
Thus, btcrop would eventually help in protecting the crop and increase the overall yield. Disadvantages creases easy and the colour fades quickly. Bt stands for bacillus thuringiensis a soil bacterium which contains a toxic gene called bt gene. The following table is created from the usda, national agricultural statistics service data, showing use of pesticides on cotton both bt and non bt. The important advantages of bt cotton are briefly pointed out as bellow. Although bt cotton seeds are affordable for large scale agriculture, the seeds are too expensive for small industry farmers. Advantages of btcotton yield superiority more profit lesser need of pesticide better quality suitability for early sowing 17. What are the advantages or disadvantages of selecting bt varieties of brinjal for farmers. High cost of bt cotton seeds as compared to non bt cotton seeds makes not afforded by small and marginal farmers of india. It is cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions of more than eighty countries of world occupying nearly 33 m ha with an annual production of 19 to 20 million tones of bales. It also has some disadvantages such as it is not wrinkle resistant, and it takes a long time to dry. In india, the chronology of bt cotton started in the year 1995 when the department of biotechnology.