There is a issue that worries the Entomologies so much but the ordinary people don’t really know about it, it’s the issue of a bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and its effect on the natural ecosystem.
What is Bt-Corn?
Corn (Zea mays) is a agricultural crop that is used for human or animal consumptions. And Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) is a bacterium that produces proteins that are highly toxic to certain insect pest but not on humas. And most of the problematic insect pest on corn are lepidopteran larvae that eats the leaf and the young corn.
Bt-Corn is a transgenic plant that was carefully engineered to perform task. The gene of Bt that produces toxic substance (called cry toxins) for larvae is inserted to the corn to mutate and produce the same toxic chemicals.
Bt-corn is a natural insecticide. Part of innovation process of the Bt is that it serves as natural pest enemy. No use of chemicals and low maintenance practice and of course low monetary inputs.
Why Bt Is Preferred By Farmers?
Number one reason is the low maintenance, it also serves as herbicide to some weeds that compete with the nutrients in the soil.
Resistance- pest resistance, so farmers wouldn’t mind buying expensive chemicals to control the worms at different stage.
High yielding characteristic, I seen what the different between Bt and non when it comes to grain harvest. Yield performance of this Gt (Transgenic genes) is higher than normal one.
Common Pest On Not Bt-Corn
The European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) was nicknamed as “billion dollar bug” because its cost too much dollar to control and also loses large amount of dollar as a result of manifestation.
Beetle Grubs or western cornrootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) another billion dollar bug
Entomologist (those people studying insects) call corn borer “silent thieves” injuries often reduced the yield 5-10 perfect or more with many growers not even noticing. You were like standing on the front of green lands filled with corn but you don’t know the corn is already contaminated by this pest. This is the most tragic problems corn farmers faces.
Bt-Corn wasn’t for everyone, why?
People worried especially environmentalist. What if non-target pest especially beneficial organism will also be affected by the cry toxin that Bt produce. The colorful butterfly has a chance of extinctions, and worst they will be mutated. Mutation is the change of biological and genetic characteristic or appearance of organism.
Scientist also worried about the genetic flow and hybridization of non Bt corn. Hybridization of corn is occur on a cross pollination during the wind flow. If all corn is Bt then their will be a big chance of insect extinction or mutation.
Insect resistance, some point they don’t want to reapeat the history. In the earlier time, insects pest had been evolve due to overuse of chemicals. So time to time farmers will buy stronger chemicals just to control the spread of manifestations.
IPM (Integrated Pest Management)
This is the new practice of organic farmers. Farmers who practice this method are hesitant for cultivating Bt even just near the field. Some of the practice they also use living organism as natural enemy and also cultural method like adding soaps and powdered sand.
Biological or natural enemy of insect are the one who’s in food web and food chain. Dragon fly (Anisoptera), damselfly (Zygoptera), Parasitoid wasp (Orussoidea) and many more.
What with Bt-corn? This biological pest may travel a distance and may be infected by the cry toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis and worst they become a host.
GMO vs Bt
At the GMO 1 and 2 I explained what is Genetically Modified Organism, now we will differentiate the common and difference. Bt and GMO is a transgenic gene produced in laboratory and breeded to produce more offspring seed.
Genetically Modified Organism is design for innovation and change in appearance, taste, quality and quantity they produce while the Bacillus thuringiensis is for pest and chemicals controls.
Conclution
The world is changing and people need to survive. If GMO and Bt wasn’t discovered the world is in chaos, where like fruit and vegetables are in bizarre quality and limited quantity to feed the humanity. And if Bt wasn’t made, not only the food security but the possible manifestation of pest and possible breakdown of disease (virus) that pest carried.
As Agriculturist I think the science is our last hope, people spend large amount of money to discover new technology for the better chance of survival. And next year coming, people will change the world, and make It a better place.
The breakdown of the virus (Corona virus) will be the stepping stone for scientist to discover more, and what we know, scientist also may discover a loop to enhance individual life span.
Source of Information:
https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/use-and-impact-of-bt-maize-46975413/
UP NEXT: we will going deep deeper at the issue about the Food security in the Philippines, why Rich people becomes more rich and poor one stays.
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