Bollgard-3

06.03.2025

Bollgard-3

Why in the news?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Recently, there has been an increasing demand for Bollgard-3 in Punjab, ahead of the cotton sowing season.

About Bollgard-3:

• It is a pest-resistant genetically-modified (GM) cotton variety.
• It was developed by Monsanto more than a decade ago, and shows remarkable resistance to pests.
• It contains three Bt proteins Cry1Ac, Cry2Ab and Vip3A that cause insect death by disrupting their normal gut function. This in turn allows for the growth of a healthier cotton crop, and increases yield.
• Farmers are demanding the introduction of Bollgard-3, which is particularly effective against lepidopteran pests like pink bollworm.
• Bollgard-1 was a Monsanto-developed Bt cotton introduced in India in 2002, followed by Bollgard-2 in 2006. The latter remains prevalent today.
• And although these do have some pest-repellent properties, they are not effective against the whitefly and the pink bollworm, which arrived in Punjab in 2015-16 and 2018-19 respectively.

What is Bacillus thuringiensis?

• Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a soil-dwelling bacterium with potent insecticidal properties.
• In the past few decades, researchers have successfully inserted certain genes from Bt in various crops, like cotton, providing these with insect-repellent properties.

                                                              Source: Indian Express

Consider the following statements regarding the Bollgard-3:

Statement-I: It is a new pest-resistant genetically-modified (GM) cotton variety developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute of India.

Statement-II: It is effective against lepidopteran pests like pink bollworm.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

A.Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.

B.Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.

C.Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect.

D.Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct.

Answer D