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Some of the evidence that GM crops drive down pesticide use, and prevent crop yield losses to pests: Eggplant in Bangladesh

Thursday, May 23, 2019 0:23

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Bt eggplant in Bangladesh: An example of a GM crop that drives up crop yield and drives down pesticide use

Main message: Insect pests destroy yield before harvest. The Bt gene, introduced into plants by biotechnology, prevents crop insect damage and avoids the need for excessive crop sprays with synthetic pesticides.

Genetically engineered (GE) crops continue to expand and transform agriculture on a global scale. In 2017, nearly 190M hectares of GE crops were grown by about 18M farmers in 24 countries, including 101M hectares of crops with high levels of host plant resistance to caterpillar and beetle pests [1]. Between 1996 and 2015, this adoption has been associated with increases in farm income > $50,274M and $45,958M, in Bt cotton and maize, respectively, and reductions of > 268M and 87M kg of insecticide active ingredient in Bt cotton and maize, respectively [2]. However, the potential benefits provided by Bt crops have largely gone unrealized in fruits and vegetables where insect management continues to rely primarily on the use of synthetic insecticides [3]. This situation is changing in Bangladesh with the introduction of Bt eggplant.

Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.), or brinjal as it is called in Bangladesh and India, is one of the most important and popular vegetables in South and Southeast Asia. The crop is damaged severely by the brinjal fruit and shoot borer (BFSB)(Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). The caterpillar damages brinjal by boring into the petiole and midrib of leaves and tender shoots, resulting in wilting and desiccation of stems. Larvae also feed on flowers, resulting in flower drop or misshapen fruits. The most serious economic damage caused by BFSB is to the fruit, because the holes, feeding tunnels, and larval excrement may make the fruit unmarketable and unfit for human consumption.

BFSB poses a serious problem because of its high reproductive potential, rapid turnover of generations and intensive damage during the wet and dry seasons. Infestation levels may exceed 90% and the yield loss has been estimated up to 86% in Bangladesh [4]. It has been reported that 98% of Bangladeshi farmers rely solely on insecticide sprays to control BFSB [5] and farmers may apply as many as 84 insecticide sprays during the cropping season [6]. This practice is unhealthy for consumers, farmers, and the environment, and is expensive to farmers. As an alternative to intensive use of insecticides, the India-based Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Company (Mahyco) inserted the Cry1Ac gene, under the control of the constitutive 35S CaMV promoter, into eggplant (termed ‘event’ EE-1) to control feeding damage by EFSB….

Citation:

Prodhan MZH, Hasan MT, Chowdhury MMI, Alam MS, Rahman ML, Azad AK, et al. (2018) Bt eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) in Bangladesh: Fruit production and control of eggplant fruit and shoot borer (Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee), effects on non-target arthropods and economic returns. PLoS ONE 13(11): e0205713. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0205713

Ref [2] above Brookes G, Barfoot P. GM crops: global socio-economic and environmental impacts 1996–2015. UK: PG economics LTD; 2017.

Source: http://gmopundit.blogspot.com/2019/05/some-of-evidence-that-gm-crops-drive.html

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