Historically, in North America, one of the most economically destructive pests in cotton production has been the boll weevil. Due to the US Department of Agriculture's highly successful Boll Weevil Eradication Program (BWEP), this pest has been eliminated from cotton in most of the United States. This program, along with the introduction of genetically engineered Bt cotton (which contains a bacterial gene that codes for a plant-produced protein that is toxic to a number of pests such as cotton bollworm and pink bollworm), has allowed a reduction in the use of synthetic insecticides. COUNT 5
QSN1 What insect is the most destructive pest in cotton growing in the US? ANS1 boll weevil QSN2 What program has effectively eliminated the boll weevil in the US? ANS2 Boll Weevil Eradication Program QSN3 What is the organization that instigated the Boll Weevil Eradication Program? ANS3 US Department of Agriculture QSN4 What form of cotton contains a genetically modified gene? ANS4 Bt cotton QSN5 On what does the use of Bt cotton reduce reliance? ANS5 synthetic insecticides.