Does expression of Bt toxin matter in farmer's pesticide use?

Abstract

SummaryDespite the widespread adoption of Bt cotton, farmers still spray excessive pesticides in their cotton fields. In contrast to scientists who always use high quality seeds in the laboratory and/or experimental fields, farmers may plant low quality seeds with a low expression of Bt toxin. How does the expression of Bt toxin influence farmers' pesticide use? On the basis of a plot-level survey and laboratory test data, this study shows that pesticide use on one cotton plot is influenced not only by the expression of Bt crops in this plot, but also by the average expression in the village in the early stage of the cotton growing season. In other words, high expression of Bt toxin benefits not only the farmers who plant the varieties but also all the other villagers.

Transgenic cotton and farmers’ health in Pakistan

“…Hence, in poorly regulated markets, there may be cases where farmers believe they have purchased Bt seeds when in fact they have not. Uncertainty about the quality of Bt seeds was reported for several developing countries, including China, India, and Pakistan [4, 27–31]. Low-quality Bt seeds may lead to lower pesticide reduction than what is possible with higher-quality seeds, implying that the health benefits would be underestimated when simply relying on farmers’ self-reported adoption status.…”