The first replicated field trials comparing genetically modified eggplant varieties with their non-GM counterparts in Bangladesh have confirmed that the Bt gene confers almost total protection against the most damaging pest this vital crop is likely to encounter.
The field trials were carried out in the Bogra district of Bangladesh by a Bangladeshi-U.S. team of researchers.
The eggplant, known as brinjal in South Asia, is an economically and culturally important crop in the region. Its most severe insect pest is the eggplant fruit and shoot borer (EFSB), which can cause up to 80 percent yield loss in Bangladesh.
“This study confirms with good statistical evidence that Bt brinjal can indeed help reduce the dependence of Bangladeshi farmers on insecticides to protect their brinjal crop,” said Anthony Shelton, Cornell professor of entomology, corresponding author of the paper and project director for the $4.8 million, three-year U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) grant that supports the Feed the Future South Asia Eggplant Improvement Partnership.
Source: news.cornell.edu
