About Bt Crops in India

Plants that have been genetically modified to produce the same toxin as the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis in the plant cell are known as Bt Crops. These crops are resistant to pest attack because of the toxin they produce. The bacterium secretes particular proteins known as “cry proteins,” which are harmful to insects and are produced in large quantities. Cotton, brinjal, corn, and other Bt crops are examples of such crops.

While feeding on the transgenic plants, an insect’s digestive system becomes crystallised due to the presence of a toxin called cry protein in the plants. This causes the insect to succumb to its injuries. In contrast, it has no negative impact on the human digestive system.

Bacillus thuringiensis is a type of bacteria. Bacillus thuringiensis is a gram-positive, spore-forming bacteria that can be found mostly in soils and water sources. Specifically, it creates proteins that are poisonous to insects, as previously described. Farmers that practise organic farming employ this bacterium in a solution and spray it on their plants to keep pests at bay.

The practice of employing Bacillus thuringiensis genes began in the year 1996, when modest quantities of the bacterium’s genes were used in limited amounts. In plant cells, this made it easier for them to produce cry proteins, which were then used to fight pests. Pests such as the European and southern corn borer, tobacco and cotton budworm, pink bollworm, and Colorado potato beetle wreaked havoc on crop production, causing them to plummet to record lows. Bacillus thuringiensis provided protection for the crops against pests of this nature.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).

The researchers were successful in developing the following sorts of Bt crops:

Bt Cotton is a type of cotton that is used for a variety of purposes.

In order to protect cotton plants from the bollworm, a key pest of the crop, genetically modified cotton varieties, or Bt cotton varieties, have been developed. Bt cotton causes the worms that live on the leaves of the plant to become lazy or sleepy, resulting in less damage to the plant. Ingestion of the harmful proteins produced by crops by the worms results in their death as a result of their consumption of the plant.

The Benefits of Genetically Modified Crops

The following are the most significant advantages of Bt crops:

1. It contributes to the increase in crop yield, which in turn increases the farmer’s revenue. As a result, farm production is increased as well.
2. They aid in soil pollution prevention by reducing the usage of synthetic pesticides, which is beneficial.
3. Bt crops contribute to the protection of beneficial insects.
4. Because of enhanced yields in a short period of time, it can easily feed an expanding population.
5. It results in the production of disease-free crops as a result of the reduction of pesticides used in agriculture.
6. It allows for greater productivity on a smaller amount of land.

Disadvantages of Genetically Modified Crops

There are a few downsides to using Bt crops as well:

1. Bt crops are more expensive to produce than conventionally cultivated crops.
2. It has the potential to interfere with the natural mechanism of gene flow.
3. Pests may develop resistance to the toxins produced by these crops, resulting in a reduction in crop productivity.

Conclusion 

Bt Brinjal is an abbreviation for Bt Brinjal.

Bt brinjal can also be created through genetic transformation of the crystal protein gene cry 1 Ac from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, which is found in the tomato plant. Bt brinjal was created to provide resistance to lepidopteron insects, which are a type of fly. Specifically, the proteins produced by Bt genes bind to the receptors present on the insect’s membrane, causing the creation of pores on the membranes to occur. This causes the digestion process to be disrupted, ultimately resulting in the death of the insect.