Why is cotton genetically modified?

It's all in the genes as the latest weapon in the arsenal to keep Australia's cotton crops free of insect pests is launched. read more

The American cotton was subsequently crossed with Indian cotton to introduce the gene into native varieties. The Bt cotton variety contains a foreign gene obtained from bacillus thuringiensis. This bacterial gene, introduced genetically into the cotton seeds, protects the plants from bollworm (A. lepidoptora), a major pest of cotton. read more

If the question is about transgenic traits specifically, much cotton has been genetically modified for pest resistance (with Bt proteins) and herbicide (glyphosate) tolerance. Some cotton has been genetically modified for one of these traits only. See Genetically Modified Cotton. read more

Cotton used in pads and tampons also contain the pesticide residue from the highly treated crop, as well as genetically modified ingredients. What looks like cotton can also be bleached wood pulp, or rayon, a semi-synthetic material made in a chemically-intensive process. read more