Question

Plants that produce the insecticidal Bt or cry toxin are engineered to kill different types of caterpillars. What initially was the main concern with transgenic plants producing the cry toxin?

-The cry toxin will cause indigestion in humans
-The cry toxin may interfere with the reproduction of birds which feed on caterpillars
-Useful insects that feed on the transgenic crops may get killed
-The cry toxin may kill herbivores like deer and rabbits
-The cry gene can get acquired by other insect pests

Answer 1

Initial concerns with transgenic plants producing Bt toxin focused on the potential harm to non-target beneficial insects and the possibility of insects developing resistance. However, Bt toxins have been found to be safe for the environment, non-toxic to mammals, and an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic pesticides.

Step-by-step explanation:

When transgenic plants started producing Bt toxin or cry toxin, one of the main concerns was its potential impact on non-target organisms such as beneficial insects or the broader ecosystem. The Bt toxin must be ingested by insects to be activated, which poses low risk to non-insect wildlife and is considered safe for humans and other mammals.

However, there was concern that non-target beneficial insects that feed on or within the proximity of transgenic crops could be adversely affected by ingesting the Bt toxin inadvertently.The primary concern also touched upon the possibility of insect resistance developing over time due to the widespread use of Bt crops, paralleling the issue of antibiotic resistance. Studies have shown that the impact of Bt corn on monarch butterflies was negligible at typical environmental concentrations and the variety of Bt corn that did pose a risk was removed from the market. The consensus among scientists is that Bt toxins are an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic pesticides.