The following is an excerpt.
In an unexpected trade-off, the cultivation of cotton that has been genetically engineered to reduce caterpillar damage by producing its own insecticide has been linked to higher numbers of another pest — aphids.
Previous studies had linked the increase in aphids to reduced insecticide use by farmers cultivating Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton.
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Now researchers have for the first time tied the suppressed production of natural defence compounds in Bt cotton — caused by the lack of caterpillar attacks — to a surge in non-target pests such as the cotton aphid.
Read the full article here: Use of GM cotton linked to rise in aphid numbers
