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what is bt cotton?
Bacillus thuringiensis or Bt is a naturally occurring soil bacterium used by farmers to control Lepidopteran insects because of a toxin it produces. Through genetic engineering, scientists have introduced the gene responsible for making the toxin into a range of crops, including cotton.
 Bt expresses the qualities of the insecticidal gene throughout the growing cycle of the plant. The Bt cotton variety contains a foreign gene obtained from Bacillus thuringiensis. This bacterial gene, introduced genetically into the cotton seeds, protects the plants from bollworm (A. lepidoptora), a major pest of cotton. The worm feeding on the leaves of a BT cotton plant becomes lethargic and sleepy, thereby causing less damage to the plant.


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