Bt Cotton Team

Skip Navigation

Bt cotton is regulated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a biopesticide, under the statutes of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIRFA). Use restrictions and regulations for plant-incorporated protectants, such as Bt cotton, are stipulated on the product label and are legal requirements with which users must comply. Monsanto has all users of Bt cotton sign contracts agreeing to conditions of use. In addition, we have formulated recommendations for responding to future Bt cotton resistance problems in Arizona. These are provided on this page, with the rationale for them being explained under the section Resistance Management.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regulations and Relevant Reports

• The EPA site discusses bt crops at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticides/pips/regofbtcrops.htm
• Several articles on Bacillus thuringiensis in plants can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticides/ingredients.
• The EPA also has an extensive (153 page) report at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticides/pips/bt_brad2/4-irm.pdf that discusses Insect Resistance Management.
• The 2001 Biopesticides Registration Action Document can be found at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticides/pips/bt_brad2/6-cotton.pdf. This discusses Insect Resistance Management also.
• Rules in 2001: The EPA 2001 regulations for Bt are provided for historical reasons. They can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticides/pips/bt_cotton_refuge_2001.htm

Recommendations of the Arizona Bt Cotton Working Group and Arizona Cooperative Extension

• Compliance with Bt Cotton Refuge Requirements in AZ (4/04) PDF file, 340KB
• For responding to future cases of pink bollworm resistance to Bt cotton:
  2002 Recommendations
• The BT Cotton in Arizona Series. PDFs available online at: http://cals.arizona.edu/crops/pesticides/transgenics.html
  No.1: What Will Change? (6/97), PDF file, 31KB
  No.2: '94 Variety Results (6/97), PDF file, 39KB
  No.3: '95 Variety Results (6/97), PDF file, 32KBt

Some relevant Monsanto pages

• Information on Bollgard