Bt Research 2025, Vol.16, No.4, 168-181 http://microbescipublisher.com/index.php/bt 168 Feature Review Open Access Development and Field Performance of Bt Transgenic Crops Zhonggang Li 1 , XingZhao2 1 Tropical Specialty Crops Research Center, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resouces, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China 2 Tropical Microbial Resources Research Center, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China Corresponding author: zhonggang.li@hitar.org Bt Research, 2025, Vol.16, No.4 doi: 10.5376/bt.2025.16.0020 Received: 15 Jun., 2025 Accepted: 24 Jul., 2025 Published: 25 Aug., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Li and Zhao, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Li Z.G., and Zhao X., 2025, Development and field performance of Bt transgenic crops, Bt Research, 16(4): 168-181 (doi: 10.5376/bt.2025.16.0020) Abstract This study explains the development history and field application performance of Bt transgenic crops. By introducing the Bacillus thuringiensis gene, cotton, corn and other crops have achieved high insect resistance to lepidopteran pests, which greatly reduced pesticide use and increased yield and farmers' income. Based on the introduction of the types and mechanism of action of Bt toxins, the research and development progress of Bt transgenic crops from single gene varieties to new multigene polymerization varieties, as well as the promotion policies of major planting countries. The field performance of Bt cotton, Bt corn and other crops in pest control effects, yield quality, environmental adaptability, etc. was focused on analyzing the field performance of Bt cotton, Bt corn and other crops in pest control effects, and discussing the molecular mechanism and resistance control strategies of pest resistance, including new progress in multigene stacking and gene editing. It is expected to be of reference significance for the sustainable application of Bt genetically modified crops in the future. Keywords Bt transgenic crops; Cry protein; Insect resistance mechanism; Resistance governance; Ecological impact 1 Introduction Chemical pesticides have long been the main means of agricultural pest control, but their environmental pollution and pest resistance problems are becoming increasingly prominent. To solve this dilemma, scientists used genetic engineering technology to introduce microbial insecticidal genes into plants and cultivate genetically modified insect-resistant crops with endogenous insecticidal ability. Among them, the most widely used insecticidal protein gene derived fromBacillus thuringiensis. A large number of studies and practices have proven that Bt crops have efficient and lasting control effects on target pests, which can significantly reduce the amount of chemical pesticides, reduce losses caused by pests, and bring significant economic and environmental benefits (Pathak et al., 2015). Nevertheless, the large-scale application of Bt genetically modified crops has also raised some new problems and challenges. Among them, pest resistance evolution is the greatest threat to the sustainable use of Bt crops (Tabashnik et al., 2017; Gassmann et al., 2025). In addition, the long-term impact of Bt toxic proteins on non-target organisms and ecological environment requires continuous monitoring and evaluation, and the public's acceptance of genetically modified foods and policy supervision also affect the promotion of Bt crops. In view of the above background, this study systematically reviews the research progress and field performance of Bt transgenic crops. Introduce the molecular basis and mechanism of action of the Bt gene; review the development process of Bt crops, including early commercialization and the development of new generation of multigene polymerized insect-resistant crops; focus on the application effects of major Bt crops (cotton, corn, soybeans, rice), and analyze their promotion experience in combination with cases of Indian Bt cotton and Brazilian Bt corn; through comprehensive discussion, we aim to provide reference for the continuous improvement and scientific supervision of Bt genetically modified crops. 2 Molecular Basis and Mechanism of Action of Bt Gene 2.1 Toxin types and characteristics of Bacillus thuringiensis Bacillus thuringiensis is a Gram-positive soil bacteria that produces pesticidal activity in the process of spore
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