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.

 

 

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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