Genetically modified (GM) cotton: Its past, present and future: A review

Abstract

A marked increase in global agricultural productivity and reduced inputs in terms of pesticide consumption since past two decades has become possible due to new biotechnological approaches like molecular genetic modification (GM crops) in agriculture. However, the future increases are hardly assured due to underinvestment in agricultural research, grown up population pressure and increased levels of resistance development in the insect-pests to the transgenic cotton. In this article, the triumph of Bt cotton after its introduction in 1996, the hurdles it encounters in terms of resistance problems to insects and secondary pest outbreaks; the possible strategies and future researchable areas for its sustainable cultivation have been discussed.