University Of Arizona Study - Bt-Resistant Cotton Bollworms Emerging In Mississippi

[hatrack]

NATCHEZ — A recently published study suggests that bollworms are developing a resistance to a common pest control method.

Bt-cotton is a genetically engineered plant that produces the toxin Bacillus thuringiensis, which is deadly to several cotton pests. After analyzing tests from Australia, China, Spain and the United States, University of Arizona researcher Bruce Tabashnik concluded that the American cotton bollworm — or, scientifically, Helicoverpa zea — has begun to evolve a resistance to the toxin as it exists in the genetically engineered cotton.

Some of the plots where Tabashnik said bt-resistant bollworms were observed were in Mississippi. There’s no reason to panic if the bollworms have developed the resistance, Tabashnik said. “There are other control methods for bollworms such as conventional pesticides,” he said.

The problem is that the engineered plants were developed to ease the use of pesticides. “The reason these plants were developed was to reduce the use of pesticides, but that’s not an area of major concern,” Tabashnik said.

EDIT

http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/news/2008/mar/02/bollworms-develop-resistance/

[sam sarrha]

1. good, cotton is fuel intensive and environmentally destructive, time for Eco friendly Ag Hemp..Link>

http://www.jackherer.com/chapters.html gogle Ag Hemp

hemp oil will free us from foreign oil, public forest clear cutting for paper fiber.. that is why it is illegal, the Constitution is written on hemp paper, the only reason it is still existing.. it isn't acid

[Tumbulu]

2. The kiss of death for organic cotton, corn and tomatoes in that area

The natural B.t. is the only tool that I am aware of for organic farmers to use against this pest. Many of us have long believed that getting the cotton plant to express the toxin constantly would lead to resistance quickly. And once this happened the organic cotton, corn and tomato farmers would not have a useful bio control agent against the bollworm anymore. Thus a public treasure was destroyed in a mere 15 years by Monsanto's greed.

[pscot]

3. Golly

Who could have foreseen anything lke that?

[eppur_se_muova]

4. Bollworms bite Monsanto in the ass? nt