Worldwide, insects are a major cause of crop damage and yield loss, requiring farmers to often make multiple applications of chemical pesticides to combat insect pests. To protect the yield potential of plants and significantly decrease pesticides use, insect-resistant traits in transgenic plants using
Bt(
Bacillus thuringiensis) were developed.
Crops with a
Bt trait have been modified to produce a protein that is toxic to various forms of insect larvae.
Bt proteins have long been used as topical sprays in conventional and organic agriculture because they are effective and can be used safely. Crops that are genetically engineered to carry the
Bt trait allow farmers to protect their crops while eliminating or significantly decreasing the amount of pesticides sprayed.