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Bt Insecticidal Crystal Proteins: Role in Insect Management and Crop Improvement

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Biocontrol of Lepidopteran Pests

Part of the book series: Soil Biology ((SOILBIOL,volume 43))

Abstract

Insect pests are one of the major constraints that crops face during their growth period. Management of these insect pests has been prioritised since time immemorial. The insecticidal crystal proteins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis offer tangible options for insect management. They have not only been effective as biopesticides but also proved to be successful in plant biotechnology. A plethora of cry genes have been identified and used for the development of various transgenic crops of economic importance against insect pest. The success of Bt cotton globally demonstrates the utility of these genes in crop improvement programmes. This chapter describes the enormous information available on the various types and classes of cry genes and their mode of action on insects for the development of pest-resistant plants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India

    K. Y. Srinivasa Rao, Debasis Pattanayak & Rohini Sreevathsa

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  1. K. Y. Srinivasa Rao
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  2. Debasis Pattanayak
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  3. Rohini Sreevathsa
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Correspondence to Rohini Sreevathsa .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Amity Institute of Microbial Technology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

    K. Sowjanya Sree

  2. Amity Institute of Microbial Technology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Ajit Varma

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Srinivasa Rao, K.Y., Pattanayak, D., Sreevathsa, R. (2015). Bt Insecticidal Crystal Proteins: Role in Insect Management and Crop Improvement. In: Sree, K., Varma, A. (eds) Biocontrol of Lepidopteran Pests. Soil Biology, vol 43. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14499-3_3

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