The use of transgenic plants in insect control

Abstract

Over the last decade, the research data about the importance of the transgenic crops - named Bt crops - has increased commercially, leading them to take the second place among genetically modified (GM) crops most used and distributed. In 2006, total Bt crops reached 19 million hectares worldwide, and the Bt-corn already presented 16 commercial approvals, given that the first commercial Bt-rice plantation was made in Iran, in 2005. The clean t.echnology development, such as GM cultivars, presents several advantages in comparison to formulated insecticides, which depends on appropriated application methods according to the crop culture or the insect behavior and the impacts over the nontarget organisms and the environment. In this sense, the Bt-rice has the potential to increase productivity, decrease the pesticide application, and thus improve the environmental quality on the agricultural systems, which are highly related to environment conservation areas such as flooded regions of Brazil. The potential benefits that Bt-rice can offer, based on already obtained results with Bt-cotton and Bt-corn, should motivate new researches and the development of different varieties of Bt-rice. As a result, it could accelerate the approval and release of this technology to the rice farmers.