Bt Toxin

Bt Crop Containing Bt Toxin Gene

Bt refers to Bacillus thuringiensis i.e. Bt crop contains the amount of toxin obtained from the above bacterium or rather Bt toxin is formed in these crops which is active only when the crop is eaten by insects. In this way, after eating the crop, this toxin becomes active by going into the intestine of the insect and the insect dies.

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Now the question arises that how did this poison reach inside the plants. Bt bacteria store many toxin proteins inside their spores and this toxin protein is made by the Bt toxin gene present inside the bacterium, that is, this toxin is produced by the Bt toxin gene.

By biotechnology, this toxin gene is isolated from the bacterium and put in the gene of crop plants, due to which this toxin starts forming inside the crop plants as well.

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When Bt toxin is in the cell of bacteria or crop plants, then it is in dormant state and at this time it is called pro-toxin. This poison does not cause any harm to the plants. But after eating plants by insects, when the toxin reaches the alimentary canal of insects, then it becomes active by coming in contact with alkaline medium present in the alimentary canal. In this way, it becomes active and destroys the cell by penetrating the epithelial wall of the alimentary canal, due to which the insect dies and the crop is not harmed. Thus the crop did not have to be sprayed with any insecticide to protect it from pests.

At present, Bt plants are being grown in an area of more than 65 million hectares all over the world. Bt cotton and Bt maize containing Bt toxin genes were first planted in 1996.

Therefore, crops containing Bt toxin gene are called Bt crops. Like ~ Bt – Cotton, Bt – Maize, Bt – Paddy, Bt – Tomato, Bt – Potato, Bt – Brinjal, Bt – Tobacco etc.

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