TRANSGENIC PLANTS - AN EMERGING APPROACH TO PEST-CONTROL

Insect pests are a major cause of damage to the world's commercially i mportant agricultural crops, Current strategies aimed at reducing crop losses rely primarily on chemical pesticides. Alternatively transgeni c crops with intrinsic pest resistance offer a promising alternative a nd continue to be developed. The first generation of insect-resistant transgenic plants are based on insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thu ringiensis (Bt). A second generation of insect-resistant plants under development include both Bt and non-Bt proteins with novel modes of ac tion and different spectra of activity against insect pests.