Ecb Infestation Case Study

1. If there was no ECB infestation in a certain year, would a farmer gain or lose financially by planting Bt corn? Explain why. He might lose a little bit, but since there is no way to know if there will be an ECB infestation at planting time, he might still be better off to use Bt corn. There is almost always a residual number of corn borer and other insects left in the soil, even after treating a field, so the chances are too high that he might need to spray insecticides to keep the damage down, a much more expensive proposition. Many farmers believe the extra cost to be worth the chance of a low infestation year. 2. What might happen if Bt corn affects non-target organisms such as beneficial insects or harmless insects? BT corn is much safer than spraying insecticide on the crop. Sprays kill all insects
This cuts down the heavy reliance on chemical insecticides, which leads to lower costs, labor, and environmental damage, since Bt toxin breaks down quickly in the environment because it's naturally occurring.

- Harvest yields are much higher than those achieved with conventional corn cultivation, and this helps to satisfy the rising demands worldwide.

- The mode of action of Bt toxin is highly specific and extremely effective against the corn borer, so they have no detrimental effects on non-target insects upon ingestion, and are safe for humans and animals.

CONCERNS:

- Low levels of Bt protein could potentially provide ideal conditions for nature to select for resistant individuals in the insect population. As a result, certain insects may evolve resistance to the Bt protein in transgenic plant in the same way they evolve genetic resistance to chemical insecticides, rendering the Bt technology less