Abstract
Plants expressing a gene extracted from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a soil bacterium, produce a protein toxic to budworms, bollworms, and other Lepidopteran insects. Use of Bt cotton can reduce yield losses to budworms and bollworms and reduce the need for pesticides. In 1995, the year prior to Bt cotton introduction, nearly two thirds of cotton acreage in the United States was treated with insecticides to control tobacco budworms, cotton bollworms, and pink bollworms, at a cost of $373 million. Growers treating for budworms and cotton bollworms averaged four applications, while growers treating for pink bollworm averaged 3.3 applications. Bollworms and budworms still reduced US cotton yields by 4%—over one quarter of abillion dollars worth of cotton (Williams, 1996).
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Frisvold, G.B., Tronstad, R. (2003). Economic Effects of Bt Cotton Adoption and the Impact of Government Programs. In: Kalaitzandonakes, N. (eds) The Economic and Environmental Impacts of Agbiotech. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0177-0_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0177-0_14
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