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Agrobacterium-Mediated Virus-Induced Gene Silencing Assay In Cotton
Published on: August 20, 2011
A Black (White) Hole in the Global Spread of GM Cotton
Saule Burkitbayeva1, Matin Qaim2, Johan Swinnen1
1LICOS Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Abstract:
Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton has been widely adopted, notably by smallholder farmers in developing countries. However, it has not been used in Central Asia, an important cotton-producing region. We discuss possible reasons and hypothesize that the most likely explanation is limited local demand for Bt owing to low levels of pest infestation. This would imply that global Bt cotton adoption rates may already be close to 100% when considering real demand for insect-resistant varieties.
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