Bt transgenics in India: prospects and challenges

Genetically modified crops have been widly cultivated all over the world since the commercialization of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) transgenic cotton in 1996. The discipline of genetic engineering has revolutionized agriculture remarkably with the development of superior crop varieties harbouring resistance against insect pests. Although insect resistant crops have been allowed to be commercialized following proper biosafety guidelines and procedures, still these crops face many challenges in order to be fully adopted and accepted. This review summarizes the development of insect resistant crops, problem of resistance development to Bt, various strategies to manage resistance development in insect pests and ecological impacts of genetically modified crops.