Cotton is one the most highly used naturally occurring materials on this planet. It is used to make an abundant amount of household items including towels, clothes and furniture. Cotton can also be used to create cottonseed oil and can be used to aid in oil refining.
Bt Cotton however is extremely susceptible to pests and insects with over 50% of the world’s supply of cotton crops lost due to bollworm insects alone. Due to the high susceptibility of Cotton crops farmers must spend massive amounts of money on pesticides and insecticides in order to maintain and keep a decent amount of their cotton crops alive. On average pesticides and insecticide account for 1/3 of the cultivation costs of growing cotton. Scribd (2009), Science Behind Bt Cotton (Online) Available at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/12747863/Science-Behind-the-Bt-Cotton (Accessed at 5th of May 2013
With Bt Cotton however the Cotton plant is already partially protected from many insects and pests due to the Bacillus Thuringienisis chemical being produced. Due to this less insecticides and pesticides are needed in the growing and cultivation cotton plants.
As Many cotton farmers are poor farm workers in developing or underdeveloped countries such as India. The less it costs for the cotton crop to be grown the better economic output for the poorer farmers in theses regions as India accounts for 31.5 million bales (7.1 billion kg) of Cotton per year.
With Bt Cotton being implimennted across the globe we can reduce the heavy cost that farmers incur with protecting their crops by employing a relatively cheap and simple method of the Genetic Modification of Cotton. With cotton being such a valuable resource in todays world the continued output of the product and the wellbeing of the producers is paramount and reduction of costs in the production of cotton is instrumental in keeping the cotton producers economically satisfied.
Bt Cotton however is extremely susceptible to pests and insects with over 50% of the world’s supply of cotton crops lost due to bollworm insects alone. Due to the high susceptibility of Cotton crops farmers must spend massive amounts of money on pesticides and insecticides in order to maintain and keep a decent amount of their cotton crops alive. On average pesticides and insecticide account for 1/3 of the cultivation costs of growing cotton. Scribd (2009), Science Behind Bt Cotton (Online) Available at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/12747863/Science-Behind-the-Bt-Cotton (Accessed at 5th of May 2013
With Bt Cotton however the Cotton plant is already partially protected from many insects and pests due to the Bacillus Thuringienisis chemical being produced. Due to this less insecticides and pesticides are needed in the growing and cultivation cotton plants.
As Many cotton farmers are poor farm workers in developing or underdeveloped countries such as India. The less it costs for the cotton crop to be grown the better economic output for the poorer farmers in theses regions as India accounts for 31.5 million bales (7.1 billion kg) of Cotton per year.
With Bt Cotton being implimennted across the globe we can reduce the heavy cost that farmers incur with protecting their crops by employing a relatively cheap and simple method of the Genetic Modification of Cotton. With cotton being such a valuable resource in todays world the continued output of the product and the wellbeing of the producers is paramount and reduction of costs in the production of cotton is instrumental in keeping the cotton producers economically satisfied.