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Agricultural GMO crops under threat

21.06.2012

Genetically modified crops that produce insect-killing proteins from Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt) bacteria have reduced the use of toxic insecticides that are hazardous to human health. These proteins have been used since 1996 and are lethal to some pests but do not harm most other creatures, including humans. Nevertheless, it turned out that insects acquire resistance to the Bt proteins of transgenic crops in the same way as to insecticides.

To delay the spread of "GMO-resistant" pests, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has even introduced a requirement to plant conventional plants, without the Bt protein, next to transgenics. Thus, pests have the opportunity to abandon the GMO crop in favor of conventional unmodified food. This contributes to the survival of insects susceptible to the Bt protein. Thus, if there are fewer resistant pests, they will produce fewer offspring that are dangerous for the GMO crop.

Recently, scientists at North Carolina State University conducted a detailed study and found that to prevent the spread of resistant pests, it is required to plant up to 50% of "pure" unmodified crops next to GMO plants that produce one Bt protein (Cry3Bb1), and 20% of "pure" "plants next to GMO crops with two different types of Bt protein. Until now, the EPA has required only 20% of "pure" plants to be planted next to crops with one type of protein and 5% with two types of proteins.

The authors of the study note that pests, such as the corn rootworm, adapt very quickly and develop resistance to Cry3Bb1. To keep Bt corn "inedible" to pests, it will be necessary to reduce the amount of genetically modified corn and use combined methods of control, including spraying insecticides and killing insects with baits.

Currently, on plants with the Cry3Bb1 protein, from 1 to 6% of pests that have acquired resistance to plant genetic modification survive. At first glance, quite a bit, but one farm can have millions of these insects, which means that tens of thousands will survive and give birth. If urgent measures are not taken, in the future it will again have to return to toxic insecticides or look for new, more complex genetic modifications of crops.

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