Pest infestation, especially invasion of 'shoot borer', is much lower in Bt brinjal than other traditional varieties, a latest study showed. Bt brinjal is the first genetically modified (GM) crop ever developed in Bangladesh. Leaf-eating beetles were found 47.1 per cent of plants in case of Bt brinjal when it was 63.7 per cent for […]
Brinjal is a high-value crop that is widely grown and consumed throughout the country. However, it is highly susceptible to the fruit and shoot borer pest. To fight this pest, farmers spray their crops heavily with toxic pesticides, which can have harmful effects on the health of farmers, their families, the consumers of the fruit, and the environment. Agricultural biotechnologies, such as Bt brinjal, have the potential to address this issue.
To this end, IFPRI's Policy Research and Strategy Support Program (PRSSP) designed a study, implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, to assess the impacts of genetically modified brinjal in Bangladesh. The study was conducted from 2017-2018 in four districts in northwest Bangladesh.
For more information on the Bt brinjal study, please contact the IFPRI Country Representative Dr. Akhter Ahmed.
Bt Brinjal Study: Pesticide Use Falls, But Risk Remains
The cultivation of Bt brinjal has enabled farmers to reduce pesticide use and log higher profits but the genetically modified vegetable is not fully free from the risk of fruit and shoot borer (FSB) infestation, a new study found. The FSB is one of the most devastating pests that damages up to a third of […]
Policy Workshop: Agricultural Transformation in Bangladesh
On March 6, 2019, the Ministry of Agriculture and the USAID-funded Policy Research and Strategy Support Program (PRSSP), implemented by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), jointly organized a half-day policy workshop to disseminate research-based evidence from the “Agriculture, Nutrition, and Gender Linkages (ANGeL)” project, and the Bt brinjal impact assessment. The event attracted […]
Bt Brinjal Impact Assessment: Field Visit
IFPRI researchers observe field-level activities for the Bt brinjal impact assessment. Learn more.
Ministry Organizes Bt Brinjal Monitoring Training
The Ministry of Agriculture is preparing to implement the Bt brinjal impact assessment study. On 6 August 2017, the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Agricultural Policy Support Unit (APSU), and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) organized a day-long training of trainers at BARI-Gazipur for 17 senior agriculture extension officials (Upazila Agriculture Officers and Additional Agriculture […]