The ruckus over Bt Brinjal
Bt Brinjal is a trans-genic brinjal created by inserting a gene (Cry 1Ac) from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) into brinjal.
The insertion of the gene into the vegetable is said to give the brinjal plant resistance against insects like the brinjal fruit and shoot borer (Leucinodes orbonalis) and fruit borer (Helicoverpa armigera). Upon ingestion of the Bt toxin by the insect, there would be disruption of its digestive processes, ultimately resulting in its death.
The government's Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), which cleared Bt Brinjal for commercial release in October, said it will reduce the farmers' dependence on pesticides and enable higher yields.
Text: IANS
Images: AP
Image: A Greenpeace activist dressed as a brinjal protests against Bt brinjal, or genetically modified (GM) egg plant crop in Bangalore on January 22, 2010.
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