What is the Pink Bollworm?

About Pink Bollworm:

• It is one of the most destructive pests of cotton.
• Scientific name: Pectinophora gossypiella
• Distribution: Originally native to India, it is now recorded in nearly all the cotton-growing countries of the world.
• Description:
• The adults are small moths about 3/8 inch long and are dark brown with markings on the fore wing.
• The larval stage is the destructive and identifiable stage.
• The larvae have distinctive pink bands and can reach a length of ½ inches right before they pupate.
• Ecological Threat:
• Pink bollworms are major pests of cotton. 
• Adults only last for 2 weeks, but females will lay 200 or more eggs.
• Adults lay eggs on cotton bolls; once hatched, the larvae eat the seeds and damage the fibers of the cotton, reducing the yield and quality
• When the larvae mature, they cut out the boll and drop to the ground and cocoon near the soil surface. 
• It has also been observed to attack hibiscus, okra, and hollyhock plants.

Q1) What is the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC)?

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) functions in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). As per Rules, 1989, it is responsible for appraisal of activities involving large scale use of hazardous microorganisms and recombinants in research and industrial production from the environmental angle.

Source: Pink Bollworm-Resistant GM Cotton Gets Nod for Field Trials in Hisar, Haryana

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