Bollgard-3 Latest News
Recently, there has been an increasing demand for Bollgard-3 in Punjab, ahead of the cotton sowing season.
About Bollgard-3
- It is a new pest-resistant genetically-modified (GM) cotton variety.
- It was developed by Monsanto more than a decade ago, and shows remarkable resistance to pests.
- It contains three Bt proteins Cry1Ac, Cry2Ab and Vip3A that cause insect death by disrupting their normal gut function. This in turn allows for the growth of a healthier cotton crop, and increases yield.
- Farmers are demanding the introduction of Bollgard-3, which is particularly effective against lepidopteran pests like pink bollworm.
- Bollgard-1 was a Monsanto-developed Bt cotton introduced in India in 2002, followed by Bollgard-2 in 2006. The latter remains prevalent today.
- And although these do have some pest-repellent properties, they are not effective against the whitefly and the pink bollworm, which arrived in Punjab in 2015-16 and 2018-19 respectively.
What is Bacillus Thuringiensis?
- Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a soil-dwelling bacterium with potent insecticidal properties.
- In the past few decades, researchers have successfully inserted certain genes from Bt in various crops, like cotton, providing these with insect-repellent properties.
Bollgard-3 FAQs
Q1: What is the Bollgard 3 gene?
Ans: Bollgard III is a genetically modified (GM) cotton event primarily expressing three Bacillus thuringiensis genes encoding the in planta insecticidal proteins Cry1Ac, Cry2Ab and Vip3A.
Q2: What is Bt technology?
Ans: Bt technology uses genes from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to create plants that are resistant to certain pests.
Q3: What is Bollgard 1 and Bollgard 2?
Ans: Bollgard I and Bollgard II are brand names of genetically modified cotton varieties that produce a protein to protect against bollworms.
Source: IE
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