Lawrence Chitumba Mash Central Correspondent
STAKEHOLDERS in the cotton industry have called on Government to start trials on genetically modified pest resistant cotton seed, Bacillus Thuringiensis Cotton, which produces an insecticide that controls bollworm.

The most destructive of pest is the African boll-worm (Helicoverpa armigera), which biotech experts say in severe cases can cause a 100 percent loss. In unprotected fields pest damage can be as high as 90 percent.

At present, control of bollworms in most countries in Africa is done through application of pesticides, which is a costly exercise in terms of the pesticides themselves, spray equipment, labour, environmental and health implications.

BT cotton is a soil bacterium, which contains a toxic gene called BT gene. The aim is to make the cotton crop resistant to bollworm. The gene is inserted into the cotton seed through genetic engineering.