Insect Resistant Crops
What Are They?
Insect resistant crops, as the name implies, resist insects. However it works a little different than herbicide tolerant crops. Instead of being resistant to a chemical like herbicide tolerant crops, they are modified to be toxic to insects. This way farmers no longer have to waste money on insecticides as the crops defend themselves without chemicals.
Most people have most likely heard of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) before. Well, Bt is a bacterium that produces a toxin that is deadly to insects, which is why it is so renowned when talking about insect control. Through use of genetic modification, scientists have been able to make plants produce the Bt toxin on their own, allowing the plants to defend against insects without the need for chemicals, which is not only good for the environment, but cost effective for farmers.
Complications
Insect resistance crops provide the risk of harming non-target arthropods. More simply stated, insect resistant crops may kill insects that they are not intended to. Not all insects are harmful to crops or the environment, so if they are unintentionally killed then it could prove to have dramatic effects on the ecosystem. For example, insects that help plants reproduce do not have a negative effect on the environment, so their unintended loss could become a problem.
This pictures shows a comparison between Bt cotton (left) and regular cotton (right). (Image Citation 33)
Without insect resistance, pests can eat away at crops.
Ladybugs are an example of helpful bugs, whose unintentionally death could be troublesome for the ecosystem. (Image Citation 43)