Bt toxin gene cryIAb controls:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Corn borer
(1) Corn borer — Correct. Bt toxins are insect-group specific, so each cry gene works against a particular pest. The protein made by cryIAb kills the corn borer.
(2) Cotton bollworm — Incorrect. Cotton bollworms are controlled by the proteins of two other genes, cryIAc and cryIIAb.
(3) Armyworm — Incorrect. The armyworm is not the pest controlled by cryIAb.
(4) Tobacco budworm — Incorrect. The tobacco budworm is not the pest controlled by cryIAb. The tobacco pest studied along with Bt crops is a nematode, Meloidegyne incognitia, and it is controlled by RNA interference, not by a Bt toxin.
Note: The same question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2025 on 16-05-2025 (Slot 1).
NCERT Extract:
Biotechnological Applications in Agriculture – …
