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A bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is frequently found in soil and is well-known for its capacity to create insecticidal proteins that are poisonous to specific insect pests.
The larvae of many insects, including Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies), Diptera (flies and mosquitoes), Coleoptera (beetles), and some nematodes, are especially targeted by these proteins, known as Cry proteins or -endotoxins, which are produced during sporulation.
Since more than years ago, Bt has been widely employed as a biological insecticide, primarily in agriculture to manage insect pests in crops including corn, cotton, and potatoes.
Due to the fact that the toxins are only poisonous to a small variety of insects and degrade quickly in the environment, their usage as a pesticide is regarded as harmless for the environment and non-target creatures.
The insecticidal protein expressed by Bt is also employed in genetic engineering to create crops that have built-in defences against particular insect pests.
The usage of chemical pesticides and the resulting environmental effects have been significantly reduced as a result of this strategy, also known as Bt crops, which has been embraced in many nations.
Bt is an intriguing bacteria that has numerous uses in agriculture and pest management.
Global bacillus thuringiensis market accounted for $XX Billion in 2023 and is anticipated to reach $XX Billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of XX% from 2024 to 2030.
The introduction of Syngenta’s first bioinsecticide for sale in Portugal was announced. The agricultural defence, known as Costar, is based on Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
More than 50 agricultural commodities, including the most significant ones in European nations—grapes, fruits, vegetables, rice, and olive trees—have been approved for the product’s usage in pest management.
Syngenta claims that the introduction of Costar satisfies growing customer demand in Europe for food free of any pesticide residues.
The producer also declares its intention to “react in an increasingly structured way to the demands of farmers in the field and the need of buyers and customers for nutritious and safe food.”
The company claims that Costar, which is “particularly advised for use in programmes of Integrated Production and Biological Production Mode,” may be used to regulate all different kinds of caterpillars.
Moreover, the employment of auxiliary insects that naturally eat caterpillars as well as the use of pheromones to draw pests to insect-elimination baits are also compatible with Costar.
