Bt.

crops
3. Shigetane Ishiwatari (1901), first isolated Bacillus thuringiensis. Bt is commonly abbreviated as
Bacillus thuringiensis, is a gram-positive, facultative aerobic, rod-like, motile and sporulating bacterium.
Bt is a naturally-occurring soil borne bacterium that is found worldwide Ubiquitous in nature. Produces
crystals of endotoxin (Cry protien or delta toxin) - toxic to insect mainly in their larval stage, thus they
act as insecticides. Bacillus thuringiensis

4. These crystal proteins (Cry proteins) are insect stomach poisons Insects stop feeding within two hours
of a first bite and, if enough toxin is eaten, die within two or three days Important biological insect
control agent. Bt crystals, sometimes referred as insecticidal crystal proteins (ICP), are protein crystals
formed during sporulation in some Bt strains coded by cry genes.

5. What is Bt cotton ? • Genetically modified variety of cotton that produces an insecticide. • Marketed
by Monsanto, USA.

6. HOW Bt WORKS ? 1. Ingestion 2. Solublization & proteolytic activation 3. Binding to target site 4.
Formation of toxic lesions

7. Mode of action of Cry toxin

8. Epithelium Dissolving of crystals and activation of toxins Pro-toxin Activated ∂- endotoxin Receptors
Toxins bind to receptors Perforation of gut membrane Crystals Hilbeck and Schmidt (2006) Fig 10:
Mode of Action of Bt Toxin in Insect Gut

9. TECHNOLOGY OF PRODUCTION • Main steps for developing transgenic crops : 1. Identification

of effective gene(s). 2. Gene transfer 3. Regeneration from protoplast/callus/tissue 4. Gene expression to
the desired level 5. Back cross to produce varieties 6. Field test 7. Approval for commercialization

10. METHODS OF GENE TRANSFER • Agrobacterium mediated gene transfer • Bombardment of

cells with particle coated with gene of interest

11. Transformation with Agrobacterium • Agrobacterium contains a circle of DNA (Ti plasmid) that
carries the desired genes • Co-cultivation of the Agrobacterium with plant pieces transfers the DNA
Petri dish with leaf pieces & Agrobacterium

12. Bt cotton in India • India is the largest cotton producer and consumer country after China. • In 2002
Bt cotton was introduced in India. • India has the largest hectarage of cotton and accounts for
approximately one third of the total cotton are planted in the world. • Cotton yield increased from
308kg/ha in 2001-02 to 550kg/ha in 2014-15.

13. Advantages of Bt-cotton • Yield superiority • More profit • Lesser need of pesticide • Better quality •
Suitability for early sowing

14. DISADVANTAGES • Higher cost of seeds • Higher fertilizer and irrigation cost
15. Trade name Bt protein crop Company Insect pests Bollgard Cry1Ac Cotton Monsanto Tobacco
budworm, cotton bollworm, pink bollworm Bollgard II Cry1Ac+Cry2Ab Cotton Monsanto Tobacco
budworm, cotton bollworm, pink bollworm Widestrike Cry1Ac+Cry1Fa cotton Dow Tobacco budworm,
cotton bollworm, pink bollworm List of transgenic cotton (Bt cotton)

16. Commercial release of different Bt cotton events in India, 2002 to 2009 No. Event Developer Status
Date of approval 1 MON-531 Mahyco/Monsanto commercialized 2002 2 MON-15985
Mahyco/Monsanto commercialized 2006 3 Event-1 JK Agri-Genetics commercialized 2006 4 GFM
Event Nath Seeds commercialized 2006 5 BNLA-601 CICR (ICAR) & UAS, Dharwad commercialized
2008 6 MLS-9124 Metahelix Life Sciences commercialized 2009

17. Future prospects of Bt cotton in India • 5 new hybrid cottons are under biosafety assessment which
will be considered for commercial approval between 2013-15. • . Other traits include drought and
salinity tolerance, disease resistance, sucking insect resistance, leaf curl virus resistance and other traits
related to cotton fiber quality.

18. Bt. BRINJAL Brinjal is botanically known as Solanum melongena L. (2n =24) included under the
genus Solanum which is one of the largest genera having more than 1,500 described plant species. The
cultivated types are fit for human consumption and are divided into three main varieties based on fruit
shape. S. melongena var. esculentum (Round or egg-shape) S. melongena var. serpentinum (Long and
slender) S. melongena var. depressum (dwarf brinjal plants)

19. MAJOR PROBLEMS • Major problem in brinjal cultivation is brinjal shoot and fruit borer
(Leucinodes orbonalis). • It is monophagous and attacks all aerial parts of plant specially shoot and fruit.
• Damage the fruit and affect fruit quality badly. • It causes yield losses about 60-70% even after
multiple insecticide spray.

20. EGGS LARVAE PUPAE ADULT 25-43 days Fig 6: Life Cycle of The Fruit and Shoot Borer

21. SHOOT DAMAGE FRUIT DAMAGE Symptoms of Damage

22. Bt Brinjal is a transgenic brinjal created out of inserting a gene [cry IAc] from the soil bacterium
Bacillus thuringiensis in to brinjal. The insertion of the gene into the Brinjal cell in young cotyledons
has been done through an Agrobacterium mediated vector, along with promoters, markers etc. This is
said to give the Brinjal plant resistance against lepidopteran insects like the Brinjal Fruit and Shoot
Borer (Leucinodes orbonalis) and Fruit Borer (Helicoverpa armigera). It is reported that upon ingestion
of the Bt toxin by the insect, there would be disruption of digestive processes, ultimately resulting in the
death of the insect.

23. 1 INOCULATION 2 CO-CULTIVATION 3 4 5 6 SELECTION & REGENERATION RE-

GROWTH MOLECULAR VERIFICATION OF GENE PRESENCE & EXPRESSION EVALUATION
OF TRANSFORMED BRINJAL PLANT FOR INSECT PROTECTION

24. • 60% of plant protection cost for controlling fruit and shoot borer is reduced. • In spite of the
extensive use of chemical pesticides, larvae lead a concealed life, it is difficult to control through
insecticide sprays. Arguments in Favour of Bt Brinjal
25. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF Bt BRINJAL.? 1) non-infested, undamaged and good quality
brinjal fruits. 2) Bt brinjal will significantly reduced level of pesticide residues, Farmers are expected to
benefit at multiple levels. Some of these include: 3) Saving on cost of insecticides and lower labor cost
as a result of reduced spraying. 4) Increase in yield per unit area by saving fruits from damage caused by
FSB.

26. Non-Bt. Non-Bt. Benefits to Farmers Bt.

27. Bt. CORN Why does corn need protection from corn borers? Each year, 40 million tons of corn
never reach the market due to damage. If corn borers are not controlled, the larvae will eventually turn
into moths and the cycle continues. Bt corn produces a protein that gives Bt corn built- in resistance to
the corn borer – offering protection throughout the plant where the insect attacks.

28. HOW DOES Bt. CORN WORK? Bt maize has built-in protection against corn borers, achieved
through modern biotechnology, where the Cry1Ab gene has been added. The Cry1Ab gene produces a
Bt protein (Cry1Ab) which protects the plant from insect damage (Bacillus thuringiensis ) Stalk tunnel
after infectionTunneling of borer

29. What are the benefits of Bt corn? It represents an environmentally sustainable way to control
devastating insect pests and, therefore, to ensure yield. Also, grain from Bt corn is often of better quality
than grain from conventional corn hybrids, since insect damage reduces grain quality. Studies show that
there is a significant economic return from growing Bt corn, with yields protected in years when there is
a heavy outbreak of corn borer. There is also evidence that Bt corn provides a form of protection to non-
Bt corn by reducing the overall population of corn borers

30. Expected benefits are based on the following assumptions • Bt corn (MON810, BT11) provides 96%
average control of European corn borer larvae, • Bt corn (event 176) provides 96% control of first
generation corn borers and 75% control of second generation corn borers. • Insecticides provide 80%
and 67% control of first and second generation borers, respectively.

31. Does Bt corn affect beneficial insects and natural enemies? Many studies have shown that Bt Cry
proteins are highly selective in killing larvae of moths. Bt corn, however, does not affect beneficial
insects including honey bees, lady beetles, green lacewing larvae, spiders, pirate bugs or parasitic wasps
. Indirect effects on natural enemies of European corn borer, however, could occur. Predators,
parasites and pathogens of the corn borer might decline as corn borer populations decline.

32. Bt has no toxic impact in higher animals (HUMAN) because of….. • Acidic stomach • Very low pH
(∽1.5 in humans) • Absence of required receptors Bt is safe to non-target organisms- HUMAN