A farmer decides to plant Bt corn rather than conventional corn because Bt corn contains a gene from a bacterium that acts a natural insecticide, thus allowing her to harvest a corn crop without using chemical pesticides. Is her crop considered organic? Yes No
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Step 1: The question asks whether a corn crop harvested without using chemical pesticides, but using Bt corn (genetically modified corn), is considered organic. Show more…
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In 1997 a genetically modified corn was introduced in the U.S. A gene for a toxin (Bt toxin) was inserted into the corn plants (then known as Bt corn). The Bt toxin was known to kill the corn borer insect but is harmless to people and most other animals. The corn borer is the most damaging pest for corn crops. In a Bt corn plant, the Bt toxin is produced in the plant and kills the insects almost immediately after the insect eats the corn. The goal of this genetic engineering project was to increase crop yield and decrease pesticide use. Bt corn use has increased exponentially since 1997. In 2020, it accounted for 82% of all corn planted in the United States. Organic farmers cannot use genetically modified crops. Let’s say there is an organic farmer growing non-GM corn near a non-organic farmer who is growing Bt corn. If pollen moves from the Bt corn population to the organic corn, interbreeding may occur. Does the above scenario represent migration as an evolutionary mechanism? Yes or No, and then explain how you know.
Adi S.
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) bacterium produces a toxin that kills many insect species. The gene for the toxin was taken from this bacterium and spliced into corn plants. The resulting corn crop, called Bt-corn, would have built-in insecticide and would not suffer insect damage. For the past decade, debate has raged over whether this genetically-engineered corn harms harmless insects. A Cornell University team ignited this debate with the following experiment: They dusted leaves with pollen from Bt-corn and fed the dusted leaves to the caterpillars of monarch butterflies in the laboratory. About half of the caterpillars died, compared to another group fed non-dusted leaves where only two percent of the caterpillars died.
A genetically engineered corn plant is approved for agricultural use. The plant produces pollen that can make its own toxins. These toxins protect the corn plant against pests and no longer require the application of chemical pesticide. What is a likely impact on the farmer of growing such a variety of corn
Keemin L.
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