Worldwide, there are many Insect-Resistant Genetically Modified Crops (IR-GMCs) planted with the purpose of controlling their many insect pests. All genetically modified (GM) plants have to pass through a regulatory system before being commercialized. In the case of Argentina, specific
information is requested for these particular GM crops. This review will cover all the data required of IR-GMCs in Argentina in relation to insect resistance to the insecticidal products expressed (the most common in Argentina: Bt proteins) as well as the current situation of Bt
crops in Argentina. From earliest times, man has used living organisms and their products in order to produce goods and services to meet their basic needs. For instance, man has modified, first unconsciously and then intentionally, the genome of many commodities so as to obtain improved cultivars.
Taking the example of maize, its ancestor, the teocintle, is different in appearance (compared to the maize we consume nowadays). The selection process, which has taken place over many years, introduced improvement in many phenotypic characteristics such as the size of the grain. This example
illustrates what is considered "Traditional Agrobiotechnology" or 'Traditional Plant Breeding'. The advent of Genetic Engineering and Molecular Biology in the second half of the 20th century has opened the door to "Modern Agrobiotechnology". The increase of agricultural production worldwide
is demanded by a constantly increasing global population. As result of this, man has taken advantage of this valued tool so as to produce more in the same amount of land in a sustainable and cost-effective way. Thus different kinds of crops have been genetically engineered around the world
with beneficial traits like insect resistance, herbicide tolerance and nutritional improvement. Worldwide, insects are a major cause of crop damage and yield loss, often requiring farmers to make multiple applications of chemical insecticides to control pests. For that reason, the commercial
release of IR-GMCs also called Insect-resistant biotech crops has been an important contribution from Modern Agrobiotechnology to increase the global agricultural production. By the end of 2016, the cultivated area under GM crops reached 185.1 million hectares. 53% of that area was planted
with IR-GMCs (single and stacked events with tolerance to herbicides). The commercialized genetically engineering crops that have protection against insect damage around the world are cotton, maize, soybean, potato, rice, tomato, eggplant and poplar. Insect-resistant biotech crops provide
a number of benefits, such as a reduction in the use of chemical insecticides, improvement in yield, quality and lower production costs compared to the conventional crops.
Ecological risks and benefits of transgenic plants
