This project continues to build on the work of previous project SC1301 during a critical time for the industry in promoting and improving stewardship of Bt and insecticides.

Transgenic cotton was introduced to Australia in 1996 with Ingard® which was replaced by Bollgard II® in 2004/05.

The use of transgenic (Bt) cotton (Ingard® and more recently Bollgard II®) has greatly reduced the use of insecticides in Australian cotton production and the status of key lepidopteran pests such as Helicoverpa spp.

In the 2004/05 season Bollgard II® replaced Ingard® as the transgenic variety of cotton available to Australian growers. It improves on Ingard® by incorporating an additional insecticide protein (Cry2Ab) to combat H.

In the mid-1990's the Australian cotton industry adopted Ingard®, a transgenic variety that contains a Bt toxin (CrylAc) which is specific to the group of insects including the target Helicoverpa armigera, but ex