Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) is one of the emerging sap-sucking pests. It damages several field crops across the world and causes serious yield losses. It is a serious pest in polyhouses too. The insect damages crops by sucking plant sap and transmitting plant viral diseases. A new insecticidal protein (namely Tma12) has been isolated from an edible fern. Tma12 is toxic to whitefly and interferes with its reproduction at sub-lethal doses. Tma12 gene has been introduced in cotton. The GM cotton lines show high resistance against whitefly infestations. Whitefly resistance protects cotton from viral diseases also.
National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI)
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