CropLife Brasil, an association that brings together the main companies operating in the seeds, biotechnology, chemical pesticides and biological products segments, launched a marketing campaign aimed at preserving insect resistance biotechnology, also known as Bt technology (Bacillus Thuringensis).
With the motto "Say YES to refuge", the initiative aims to raise awareness about the importance of refuge areas for preserving the benefits of Bt corn, soy and cotton crops and will include actions on the association's proprietary social media, radio stations and advertising pieces broadcast nationally.
"Although the implementation of refuge areas is a recommendation for all rural producers who use seeds with Bt technology, many end up not adopting the practice. However, in the medium and/or long term, the technology will lose its effectiveness, leaving crops susceptible to resistant insects. Our campaign aims to raise awareness among farmers about the importance of planting refuge areas to maintain the competitiveness and sustainability of their business", explains Othon Abrahão, director of the Biotechnology Chamber at CropLife Brasil.
Agricultural biotechnology represents one of the main advances in the sector in recent decades and Bt technology is a valuable tool for rural producers in pest control.
In Brazil, this technology was introduced in 2005, with the approval and launch of a variety of Bt cotton. Bt corn was approved in 2007, soybeans in 2010 and, since 2017, sugarcane can also count on this tool. Since its introduction on the market, Bt technology has been quickly used in the field, becoming one of the most important alternatives for integrated pest management.
Bt seeds were quickly adopted in the country due to their benefits - in addition to reducing losses from insect attacks, the technology also reduces the number of sprayings with insecticides - and is now used in all producing regions.
Maintaining expected performance, however, is linked to the adoption of the refuge. This strategy, along with other good cultivation practices, is fundamental to protecting the productivity of Brazilian agriculture.
Bt crops require specific management for the sustainability of the technology. Without the adoption of practices to slow the evolution of resistance in pest populations, their effectiveness may be compromised by the selection of Bt-resistant insects.
The selection pressure exerted by technology in large areas and for several harvests causes individuals, which are naturally resistant and rare, to survive and become the majority in the population after a few generations, leading to the loss of effectiveness of the technology. For this reason, the engagement of producers across the country in the correct use of biotechnology is essential.
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