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CSIRO - "Bollgard II" cotton
Taking on those cotton-picking pests
Scientific breakthroughs are boosting the green credentials and financial future of our cotton industry.
Cotton plants with built-in insect resistance? Growers would like to see that - and the CSIRO has made it happen.
The organisation's cotton-breeding team has achieved significant breakthroughs in breeding for disease tolerance, yield, climatic adaptability and fibre quality. It has also successfully incorporated genetically modified Bollgard II and Roundup Ready into its suite of varieties.
The Bollgard II trait gives the cotton plant a built-in insect resistance, particularly towards helicoverpa (Bollworm), the main insect pest of cotton. This modification has slashed pesticide use, meaning that cotton production is now more sustainable and environmentally friendly. It is also contributing to the development of a stable cotton industry in Australia.
A long history
Dr Greg Constable, the head of CSIRO's cotton-breeding team, says his organisation has bred cotton since the mid-1960s.
"In 1972, a concentrated cotton-breeding effort was established at Narrabri, New South Wales, bringing together four different breeding programs," he says.The result was the development of an ongoing release program of high-value cotton varieties, which are adapted to the wide range of climatic conditions and soil types prevalent throughout Australia.
CSIRO cotton varieties now achieve a price premium on the export market, adding billions of dollars to regional economies over the last 30 years.
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