The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) recently approved confined field trials for Pink Bollworm-resistant GM cotton in Hisar, Haryana.
About ‘Pink Bollworm’ –
- It is one of the most destructive pests of cotton.
- Scientific name — Pectinophora gossypiella
- Distribution — Originally native to India, it is now recorded in nearly all the cotton-growing countries of the world.
- Description —
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- The adults are small moths about 3/8 inch long and are dark brown with markings on the fore wing.
- The larval stage is the destructive and identifiable stage.
- The larvae have distinctive pink bands and can reach a length of ½ inches right before they pupate.
Ecological threat –
- Pink bollworms are major pests of cotton.
- Adults only last for 2 weeks, but females will lay 200 or more eggs.
- Adults lay eggs on cotton bolls; once hatched, the larvae eat the seeds and damage the fibers of the cotton, reducing the yield and quality
- When the larvae mature, they cut out the boll and drop to the ground and cocoon near the soil surface.
- It has also been observed to attack hibiscus, okra, and hollyhock plants.
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