Question

Bt cotton is resistant for
A. Roundworm
B. Fluke worm
C. Bollworm
D. Pinworm

Answer 1

Because of its widespread demand in the textile industry, cotton is a crop of very high economic value, comprising 38 percent of the fibre sector. Cotton fibre and its seeds are widely used, ranging from garments, upholstery, cosmetics, cottonseed-oil packaging, paper, electrical equipment, and feed for livestock.

Complete Answer:
- Bt cotton is a transgenic insect-resistant crop bred to fight the bollworm. By genetically altering the cotton genome to express a microbial protein from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, Bt cotton was grown. In short, the transgene introduced into the genome of the plant creates toxin crystals that the plant does not naturally create, dissolving the gut lining when consumed by a certain population of species, leading to the death of the organism.
- For cotton farmers, before the introduction of Bt cotton in 1996, there was a lot of pressure from pests. Farmers lost much of their cotton to tobacco budworms, cotton bollworms, and pink bollworms. In 1995, U.S. cotton yields were decreased by attacks from these pests by over 4%, or more than a quarter billion dollars worth of cotton.
- This is where biotechnology has come in-to produce such a cotton strain that will be immune to the most common pests that cause major losses worldwide. The introduction of Bt cotton in 1996 resulted in a substantial decrease in the cost of pesticides used and a major increase in the quantity of cotton grown, which was reflected in the decrease in the price of cotton in the US between 1996 and 1998.
- A very dangerous pest worldwide is the cotton bollworm, which was managed using Bt technology in the US during this time. Cotton bollworm larvae damage squares and cotton bolls. At the base of bolls, larvae chew holes and may hollow out locks. Larvae can also chew shallow gouges on the surface of the boll that can become contaminated with rotting organisms. Cotton bollworm-injured squares typically have a round hole in the middle.

The correct Answer is option (C) Bollworm.

Note: Traditionally, by using pesticides, the cotton bollworm has been combated. However, there is a huge cost of using vast quantities of pesticides in developing nations such as India, which can usually not be given by marginal farmers. In order to reduce the amount of pesticides required for cotton monoculture, Bt cotton was grown, thereby reducing the cost of growing cotton and reducing the environmental impact of heavy pesticide use.