Farmers are demanding the approval of Bollgard-3, a pest-resistant GM cotton variety developed by Monsanto.

• About Bollgard-3: It contains three Bt proteins – Cry1Ac, Cry2Ab, and Vip3A, which kill insects by disrupting gut function.

o Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a soil-dwelling bacterium with insecticidal properties.

o Bt genes have been inserted into crops like cotton to provide insect-repellent properties.

o Bollgard-1 was introduced in India in 2002, followed by Bollgard-2 in 2006, which is still in use.

o However, Bollgard-2 is ineffective against whitefly and pink bollworm, which emerged in Punjab in 2015-16 and 2018-19, respectively.

oBollgard-3 is particularly effective against lepidopteran pests like pink bollworm.

• BG-2RRF: A More Likely Option

o Bollgard-3 is not yet available in India, but Bollgard-2 Roundup Ready Flex (BG-2RRF) is closer to approval.

o BG-2RRF trials were conducted in 2012-13, but its commercial use is still pending regulatory approval.

o BG-2RRF makes cotton more tolerant to herbicides, helping farmers control weeds without harming the crop, leading to better yields.

• Global Advances in Cotton Technology: Brazil is using Bollgard-5, which protects against multiple pests, weeds, and insects, leading to yields of 2400 kg per hectare (compared to 450 kg in India).