Introducing cotton farming by the use of transgenic cotton for phytoremediation of industrial wastes polluted soils in Southern Nigeria

Abstract

Industrialization in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria has resulted in excessive discharge of industrial wastes, especially oil spillage. Farming in this region has declined and cotton farming has not survived there due to this menace. Phytoremediation, which is an emerging green technology has been adopted for the revitalization of farming in polluted sites and has been integrated towards solving this challenge. Many indigenous plants of high phytoremediation strength within and outside Nigeria have been reported. The use of genetic engineering approaches for developing transgenic plants with higher phytoremediation potential have also been successful in certain plants. This review, therefore, focused on phytoremediation, its impact, success, potential plants, plant's phytoremediation mechanisms, and the technological advancement need through cotton genetic engineering. Cotton is the foremost commercially important fiber crop and its fiber is the backbone of the textile industry. It has significant impact in the economy but its phytoremediation strength is naturally poor; hence, prompting attention to the genetic modification of cotton for phytoremediation purposes and basing the future phytoremediation on the use of transgenic economic plants, especially cotton, are of significant importance.

A comparative study of transgenic cotton development, impacts, challenges and prospects with respect to China and Africa

“…Further evaluation of the impact of GM protein leached by roots of GM cotton on the soil microflora showed that there was no significant difference in the population of microbes and soil invertebrates between both samples. Food safety assessment have shown that nutrient composition analysis of protein, carbohydrates, oil and calories also disclose no obvious difference in the Bt and non Bt cotton seed this was observed after comparison of animals fed with Bt and non Bt cotton seed thus, supporting the campaign that Bt cotton is as safe as the conventional cotton in almost every ramification (Nnaemeka and Sun, 2021). Nigeria Bt cotton success and Nigeria decisions to commercialize Bt cotton has revived hopes for the novel variety in Ghana (Gakpo, 2018) as well as other African countries.…”

“…Aphids and bacteria blight (Xanthomonas malvacearum) are also examples of insects that affects cotton yield. These problems posed severe effect on the cotton industries in Africa and majority of them shutdown (Nnaemeka and Sun, 2021). Unfortunately, this has remained since that time and the total production remained far below the requirements of the textile and the oil mills.…”

“…In Burkina Faso, two regional BolgardII varieties were generated and commercialized in 2008, in collaboration with Monsanto (Vitale and Greenplate, 2014). In Nigeria, an economy rich country in Africa, her textile manufacturers association said in 2016 that "Genetically modified insect protected (Bt) cotton can play an immense role in restoring attraction to cotton farming as well as reviving and repositioning the textile sector in the country (Nnaemeka and Sun, 2021). The lack of confidence by participants across the cotton value chain over the years restricted the much-needed investment so it became the most important input industry "the cotton crop", genetically modified insect protected (Bt) cotton" could improve cotton lint quality, farmers benefit and yields increase due to reduced insect pest damage; the release and commercialization of the Bt cotton could be related to successes recorded about the Bt cotton in other countries.…”

“…Africa contributes less than 5% to the global demand for cotton (OECD-FAO Agricultural outlook, 2020). Cotton is an important rare economic story in sub Saharan Africa, a major source of foreign exchange earning in more than 15 countries of the continent and a crucial source of income for millions of rural people (Nnaemeka and Sun, 2021). Cotton as one of the most important economic crops provides more than 50% of the fiber source in the textile industry (Gao et al, 2019).…”