- The application of biotechnology has made a significant contribution in the dramatic reduction in insecticides applied per hectare to Australian cotton crops in the past decade
- Cotton incorporating transgenic (genetically-modified) traits has a sound track record of safe and successful use in Australia
- The cotton industry uses three types of transgenic cotton: Bollgard II ® (from the naturally occurring soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)) and Roundup Ready® (from the soil bacterium called Agrobacterium tumefaciens) and Liberty Link Cotton®
- Herbicide tolerant cotton (Roundup Ready® and Liberty Link®) can reduce the amount of soil cultivation and herbicide required on cotton crops to control weeds and facilitates healthier soils through less soil disruption and reductions in residual herbicides
- Bollgard II® was introduced in 2004/05 in Australia
- Bollgard II® is a second generation genetically modified cotton variety tolerant to the Heliothis caterpillar
- Bt is a naturally occurring soil organism and Bt sprays have been used for over 50 years in agriculture
- In Australia, each genetic trait is individually assessed on a case by case basis by the Office of Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR), Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA)
- The Australian cotton industry’s investment in gene technology has been integral to the economic and environmental sustainability of the cotton industry
- Bollgard II® crops require up to 85 per cent less insecticide than conventional cotton (Source: CRDC, 2005)
- Bollgard II® contains two genes from the naturally occurring protein Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)
- The Bt gene gives the plant an in-built tolerance to the Heliothis caterpillar, cotton’s main pest
- When the caterpillar ingests a small part of the cotton plant, the Bt protein fatally disrupts the caterpillar’s digestive system
- About 30 species of insects attack cotton, causing serious damage to the crop. Cotton’s main pests are the Heliothis caterpillar, aphids, thrips, mirids and white fly
- Over the last decade new cotton varieties released have contained new features such as improved fibre quality, disease resistance, maturity and regional adaptability
- Over 95 per cent of Australia’s cotton growers planted transgenic cotton in the 2007/08 season
- During the last decade, the application of innovative biotechnology has provided a foundation for the rapid adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices, which in turn have helped reduce overall insecticide use by 85-90 percent
- The use of transgenic cotton is a key component of the industry’s IPM strategy
- IPM uses a combination of natural controls and pest specific chemistry in order to further reduce pesticide use
- Cottonseed oil doesn’t require GM food labelling
- As a result of the crushing process which separates the cottonseed oil from the Bt protein, cottonseed oil from a transgenic cotton plant variety contains absolutely no genetically modified material
- Cattle and other animals fed cottonseed cannot pass the Bt protein on to humans through milk or meat products
- When cattle digest Bt cottonseed they utilise the nutrients so the Bt protein does not remain intact
