Evaluation of the Impact of Genetically Modified Cotton After 20 Years of Cultivation in Mexico

Autor: José L. Martínez-Carrillo, Saúl Castañeda, Enrique Scheinvar, Valeria Souza, David Mota-Sanchez, Carlos A. Blanco, Mario Soberón, Esteban Niaves, Urbano Nava-Camberos, Alejandra Bravo, Enrique Rosales-Robles, Martha Graciela Rocha-Munive, Luis E. Eguiarte
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2018
Předmět:
Zdroj: Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology
Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Vol 6 (2018)
ISSN: 2296-4185
Popis: For more than 20 years cotton has been the most widely sown genetically modified (GM) crop in Mexico. Its cultivation has fulfilled all requirements and has gone through the different regulatory stages. During the last 20 years, both research-institutions and biotech-companies have generated scientific and technical information regarding GM cotton cultivation in Mexico. In this work, we collected data in order to analyze the environmental and agronomic effects of the use of GM cotton in Mexico. In 1996, the introduction of Bt cotton made it possible to reactivate this crop, which in previous years was greatly reduced due to pest problems, production costs and environmental concerns. Bt cotton is a widely accepted tool for cotton producers and has proven to be efficient for the control of lepidopteran pests. The economic benefits of its use are variable, and depend on factors such as the international cotton-prices and other costs associated with its inputs. So far, the management strategies used to prevent development of insect resistance to GM cotton has been successful, and there are no reports of insect resistance development to Bt cotton in Mexico. In addition, no effects have been observed on non-target organisms. For herbicide tolerant cotton, the prevention of herbicide resistance has also been successful since unlike other countries, the onset of resistance weeds is still slow, apparently due to cultural practices and rotation of different herbicides. Environmental benefits have been achieved with a reduction in chemical insecticide applications and the subsequent decrease in primary pest populations, so that the inclusion of other technologies—e.g., use of non-Bt cotton- can be explored. Nevertheless, control measures need to be implemented during transport of the bolls and fiber to prevent dispersal of volunteer plants and subsequent gene flow to wild relatives distributed outside the GM cotton growing areas. It is still necessary to implement national research programs, so that biotechnology and plant breeding advances can be used in the development of cotton varieties adapted to the Mexican particular environmental conditions and to control insect pests of regional importance.
Databáze: OpenAIRE