As one of the most widely grown crops in the world, cotton has been the subject of significant research and development. Biotechnology has led to the creation of BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton, which is resistant to certain pests that plague conventional cotton varieties. The use of BT cotton has been popularized globally since the 1990s, with increasing acreages planted year on year.
The main advantage of BT cotton over its conventional counterparts is its resistance to several pests, particularly the bollworms, which are the target pests for the expression of the BT gene. This gene produces a protein that is toxic to these pests, making the cotton plant less vulnerable to their attacks. As a result, farmers can avoid relying on synthetic pesticides, which are costly and often pose environmental and health risks.
Over the years, researchers have developed several improved BT cotton varieties that have increased the efficiency and effectiveness of the technology. These varieties were designed to combat several types of pests, including pink bollworm, spotted bollworm, and American bollworm.
One such variety is a BT cotton called Bollgard II, which expresses two BT genes and offers better pest protection than the earlier generation Bollgard. Bollgard II has been shown to reduce insecticide applications, help in preventing yield losses, and improve the quality of cotton fibers.
Another enhanced variety of BT cotton is the Widestrike technology, designed to combat pests such as beet armyworm, tobacco budworm, and cotton bollworm. This variety has been shown to offer higher yields, reduce insecticide usage, and improve fiber quality.
In addition to Bollgard II and Widestrike, researchers have also developed other BT cotton varieties with specific traits, including herbicide tolerance and nutrient management capability. All of these improvements have resulted in increased efficiency, and leading a sustainable lifestyle.
Overall, the development of improved BT cotton varieties has been an essential part of modern cotton production. These technologies have allowed farmers to achieve better yields, reduce the reliance on harmful synthetic pesticide, and improve the quality of the cotton fibers. As such, the future of BT cotton continues to look bright, as researchers work tirelessly to develop new varieties and improve upon the existing ones.