NBRI developed whiteflies-resistant variety of cotton

The National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow has developed a whiteflies-resistant variety of cotton. Even though Bt cotton is also genetically-modified cotton and present in the market for farmers usage, it is resistant to two pests only and not resistant to whiteflies. Whiteflies are one of the top ten devastating pests in the world that damage more than 2000 plant species and also function as vectors for some 200-plant viruses. Cotton is one of the worst-hit crops by whiteflies. As in 2015 two-third of the cotton crop was destroyed by the whiteflies in Punjab.

Daily Current Affairs Quiz 2020

When whiteflies feed on doses of insecticidal protein of Tectaria macrodonta, it interferes with the life cycle of insects. The whiteflies suffer from very poor egg-laying, abnormal eggs, nymph and larval development, and the poor overall growth of the fly. The Tectaria macrodonta is found to be in-effective on non-target insects. Thus, it clearly shows that the protein is specifically toxic to whitefly and does not cause any harmful effect on other beneficial insects like butterflies and honeybees.